Lead and Iron Levels in Maternal and Umbilical Cord Blood in Basrah, Iraq

Lead can pass from a mother to her developing foetus and is associated with well-established risks for the foetus. This study aimed to evaluate maternal and cord iron and lead levels and study the association of maternal and cord blood lead levels (BLLs) with newborn anthropometric measurements.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at Basra Maternity and Children Hospital, Basrah, Iraq, and included women and their newborns over the period from January through June 2023. Blood samples from mothers and umbilical cords were collected and sent to determine the complete blood count and lead and iron levels. Linear regression and Pearson correlation were used to assess the association of maternal and cord BLLs with different maternal and neonatal variables.

A total of 140 women and their newborns were included in this study. There was a significantly lower maternal haemoglobin (10.6 ± 1.4 g/dL) and serum iron (93.5 ± 44.8 μg/dL) levels compared to newborn levels (13.3 ± 1.8 g/dL and 135.0 ± 76.5 μg/dL, respectively; P <0.001). A significant negative correlation between maternal haemoglobin and cord BLLs (R2 = 0.12; P < 0.001) and a significant positive correlation between maternal and cord iron (B = 0.41; P < 0.05) levels and maternal BLLs with both cord iron (B = 4.78; P <0.05) and cord BLLs (R2 = 0.29; P <0.001) were reported. Furthermore, the Pearson correlation revealed a significant negative correlation between cord BLLs and infant birth weight (R2 = 0.06; P = 0.01).

This study found that maternal BLLs were positively associated with both cord iron and cord BLLs. The cord BLL was negatively associated with maternal haemoglobin levels and infant birth weight. Preventive measures to reduce human lead exposure and monitor lead levels in pregnant women are important.