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Placental transfer of lead, mercury, cadmium, and carbon monoxide in women. II. Influence of some epidemiological factors on the frequency distributions of the biological indices in maternal and umbilical cord blood

Journal Article · · Environ. Res.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6539381

We have investigated the influence of various epidemiological factors (smoking habits, residence, age, occupation, drinking habits, duration of pregnancy, number of previous pregnancies) in the exposure of 474 European pregnant women and their newborns to lead, mercury, cadmium, and carbon monoxide. Smoking has a statistically significant influence on carboxyhemoglobin level in mothers and newborns and on cadmium concentration in maternal blood. The association of smoking with a reduction of fetal weight was confirmed. A slight but statistically significant effect of environmental pollution by lead (urban and industrial > semirural > rural area) on lead uptake by the pregnant mothers and its transfer to their fetuses was demonstrated. Some results suggest that during pregnancy lead could be mobilized from maternal tissue depots, but further investigations are required to confirm this tentative conclusion. No significant relationships were found between the other epidemiological parameters and the various biological measurements performed on mother and cord blood.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Louvain, Brussels
OSTI ID:
6539381
Journal Information:
Environ. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Res.; (United States) Vol. 15:3; ISSN ENVRA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English