Abstract
To evaluate the contamination index of metals and pesticides in pregnant women, and to relate this to perinatal outcomes. Descriptive, retrospective, exploratory study, developed from existing secondary data analyses at Level III maternity center. A total of 40 mothers with their newborns (NB), living in a rural area in Botucatu- Brazil and surrounding region. Blood samples from mothers and newborn were collected to determine the total contamination index for metals and pesticides. The concentrations of each metal and each pesticide were determined in blood samples of mothers and their newborns by Rudge's results. After obtaining these concentrations, the total contamination index in mother and NB was calculated, along with its correlation with clinical parameters of NB. There was no correlation (p> 0.05) between maternal contamination index with NB clinical parameters, and NB contamination index versus NB clinical parameters. The maternal contamination index of metals and pesticides was not related to perinatal outcomes, but it could be used as baseline parameter in future toxicological studies, regarding to long-term toxic characteristics as persistent organic pollutants, its long half-lives, bioacumulative, and expected to impose serious health effects on humans.
Highlights
Human exposure to persistent toxic substances (PTS) in the living environment include toxic metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with negative health effects[1]
The findings reported here form part of the pilot study titled “Levels of Persistent Toxic Substances (PTS) in maternal and cord blood from selected areas of São Paulo State-Brazil”
As the overall PTS concentrations in the whole blood was surprising low in the patients from rural areas, the individual analysis of these patients allow us to follow another parameter that could reflect the total maternal contamination taking in account the sum of all pollutants as well as its concentration
Summary
Human exposure to persistent toxic substances (PTS) in the living environment include toxic metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with negative health effects[1]. The influence of these pollutants on public health has been increasingly acknowledged, especially during the period of growth and development. The exposure of pregnant women to toxic metals and transfer from the mother’s blood to the developing fetus have mostly been studied in heavily exposed individuals[6,7,8,9]. There are few studies on placental concentrations of toxic metals in women living in less polluted areas[10,11], and for some metals the reported data are conflicting
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