Abstract
Toxicant, teratogen and carcinogen metal war remnants negatively affect human health. The current study analyzes, first, the persistence of heavy metal contamination in newborn hair in four cohorts across time in Gaza Palestine; second, the change in mothers’ and infants’ heavy metal contamination from birth to toddlerhood; and third, the impact of heavy metal contamination on infants’ and toddlers’ growth and development. The hair of newborns was analyzed for twelve heavy metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) in cohorts recruited at delivery in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2018–2019. In the 2015 cohort, mothers’ hair samples were taken at delivery, and toddlers and mothers hair were also analyzed 18 months later. Growth levels of infants at six months and toddlers at 18 months were assessed according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards according to a mother report and pediatric check-up, respectively. 1. The level of metal contamination in utero was persistently high across 8 years, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, following three major military attacks (2009, 2012, 2014). 2. The 2015 cohort babies exposed in utero to attacks in 2014 at six months showed association of high load at birth in mother of arsenic and in newborn of barium with underweight, of barium and molybdenum in newborn with stunting. 3. Eighteen months after birth, toddlers had a higher level of metals in hairs than when they were born, while, in their mothers, such levels were similar to those at delivery, confirming persistence in the environment of war remnants. Underweight and stunting, both in infants and toddlers, were higher than reported for previous years, as well as being progressive within the cohort. Severe environmental factors, metal contamination and food insecurity put Gaza’s infant health at risk.
Highlights
New-generation weapons, used in current wars and military operations, expose civilians to severe health hazards through heavy metal contamination [1]
When the infants become toddlers of 18 months, we analyze the load of contaminants in their hair as a measure of their environmental exposure and discuss it in comparison to their contamination as newborns; we further examine how maternal and foetal prenatal heavy metal contamination predicts toddler development and if the contamination of toddlers is correlated with their pediatric milestones
The prevalence of birth-defect babies has increased in Gaza since the start of aerial attacks following the removal of the Israeli occupation army and their settlers in 2005 [17]; health at birth continued to decrease in the aftermath of the three major military aggressions (2008–2009, 2012 and 2014), registering an increase in preterm births and birth defects associated to heavy metal contamination of pregnant women [4,8] and specific contamination in utero of newborn was documented [4,55]
Summary
In the cohort of babies born in 2015, we study the association with health measurables at 6 months of age of the babies of the load of metals detected at birth in their hair and in that of their mothers. When the infants become toddlers of 18 months, we analyze the load of contaminants in their hair as a measure of their environmental exposure and discuss it in comparison to their contamination as newborns; we further examine how maternal and foetal prenatal heavy metal contamination predicts toddler development and if the contamination of toddlers is correlated with their pediatric milestones. The participants for the study at birth in the years 2011, 2016, 2018–2019 were Palestinian women recruited at their delivery in Al Shifa hospital maternity units, Gaza city, respectively, 4049 women in.
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