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Association between prenatal metals exposure and blood pressure in 5-6 years children: A birth cohort study
Yufan Ma1, Chunmei Liang2, Zihan Wang1
1Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to arsenic and mercury during pregnancy is linked to higher blood pressure in children. The third trimester is a critical period for mitigating these metal exposure effects on children's cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Childhood blood pressure (BP) trajectory is linked to adult cardiovascular disease risk.
- Prenatal metal exposure is a potential risk factor for elevated childhood BP.
- Pregnancy is a critical window for fetal development and susceptibility to environmental toxins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to metals and metal mixtures during different trimesters and children's BP at ages 5-6 years.
- To assess the impact of specific metals (arsenic, selenium, cadmium, mercury) and their combinations on pediatric BP.
- To identify critical windows of prenatal exposure for metal-induced effects on blood pressure.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 2535-2680 mother-child pairs in the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort Study (MABC).
- Measured maternal serum metal levels (arsenic, selenium, cadmium, mercury) across three trimesters.
- Employed linear regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to analyze associations between prenatal metal exposure and children's BP (DBP, SBP, MAP).
Main Results:
- Third-trimester arsenic exposure was associated with increased diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in children.
- Third-trimester mercury exposure was linked to elevated DBP and MAP in children.
- BKMR analysis revealed a significant positive joint effect of multiple metals on children's BP, with a notable interaction between arsenic and mercury.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to arsenic and mercury during pregnancy is associated with altered blood pressure in children.
- The third trimester of pregnancy emerges as a crucial period for mitigating the adverse effects of metal exposure on children's blood pressure.
- Reducing prenatal metal exposure may be key to preventing long-term cardiovascular health issues in children.
Background:
The trajectory of blood pressure (BP) from childhood to early middle age suggested that individuals with elevated BP in early childhood were more likely to be affected by cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Exposure to metals may affect BP in children, and pregnancy is a sensitive time for metal exposure. This study assessed the relationship between different stages of prenatal exposure to metals or metal mixtures and BP in children aged 5-6 years.
Methods:
The study included 2535, 2680, 2534 mother-child pairs in three trimesters, from the Ma'anshan birth cohort study (MABC). We collected maternal blood samples during pregnancy and measured the serum levels of four metals (arsenic, selenium, cadmium, and mercury). BP was measured in children aged 5-6 years. A linear regression model and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to explore associations between prenatal exposure to metals at different stages and multiple metal exposure with BP in children aged 5-6 years.
Results:
Associations were observed between the arsenic in the third trimester and children's diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (β = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.44, 1.33), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (β = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.19, 1.24) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (β = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.42, 1.23), as well as between the mercury and children's DBP (β = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.13, 1.16) and MAP (β = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.14, 1.07). The BKMR analysis showed that multiple metals had a significant positive joint effect on children's DBP, SBP and MAP. A potential interaction between arsenic and mercury was observed (β = -0.85, 95% CI: -1.62, -0.08).
Conclusions:
Exposure to arsenic and mercury during pregnancy was associated with altered BP in children. The third trimester may represent an important window of opportunity to reduce the effects of metal exposure on children's blood pressure and long-term health.
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