Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2025

Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes
08:45

Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes

Published on: May 10, 2022

2.0K

Novel trace elements detected in multiple stages of pregnancy impact neonatal birth weight by affecting gestational

Liangmin Wei1, Xin Chen1, Hui Huang1

  • 1Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
|February 7, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to certain elements like cobalt, antimony, and strontium is linked to higher birth weights, while barium is associated with lower birth weights. Gestational age partially mediates these element-birth weight associations, especially in smaller infants.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Perinatal Epidemiology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Prenatal exposure to environmental elements is a potential determinant of birth weight.
  • Gestational age is a critical factor influencing infant birth weight.
  • Understanding element-specific impacts on birth outcomes is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to 15 elements and birth weight.
  • To explore the mediating role of gestational age in the relationship between prenatal element exposure and birth weight.
  • To identify specific elements that may influence birth outcomes in a Bangladeshi prospective birth cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of maternal serum samples from 780 (first trimester) and 610 (second trimester) participants in a Bangladesh birth cohort (2008-2011).
  • Quantification of 15 elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
  • Mediation analyses to assess the relationships between elements, gestational age, and birth weight, controlling for false discovery rate (FDR).

Main Results:

  • Positive associations with birth weight were found for cobalt (Co), antimony (Sb), and strontium (Sr) in specific trimesters.
  • Negative associations with birth weight were observed for barium (Ba) in both trimesters.
  • Gestational age partially mediated the effects of these elements on birth weight, with a more pronounced impact on smaller infants.

Conclusions:

  • Specific prenatal elemental exposures, including cobalt, antimony, strontium, and barium, are associated with birth weight.
  • Gestational age plays a mediating role in these associations.
  • Findings suggest potential targets for interventions aimed at preventing low birth weight.

Keywords:
BangladeshEnvironmental exposureGestational ageInductively coupled plasma mass spectrometryLow birth weightTrace elements

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes03:19

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

425
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

86.0K

Related Concept Videos

Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
2.5K
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
20.5K