Prenatal exposure to metals and concentration thereof in umbilical cord blood in a Mexico City cohort.

Abstract

In Mexico, there is a paucity of evidence on the magnitude of prenatal exposure to metals. To estimate the concentration of arsenic, cadmium, manganese and lead in umbilical cord blood (UCB) and its association with maternal blood concentrations during pregnancy and delivery. Metal concentration in maternal blood was analyzed during pregnancy (n = 901), delivery (n = 732) and in UCB (n = 512) from participants of the PROGRESS cohort residing in Mexico City. The association between concentrations in UCB and maternal biomarkers was analyzed using generalized linear models, adjusted for relevant covariates. Mean concentrations (μg/L) of lead, arsenic and manganese in UCB were 27.14 (25.28-29.14), 0.77 (0.71-0.84) and 42.60 (40.45-44.83), respectively. Cadmium concentration could not be estimated because 86.2% of measurements were below the detection limit. Lead and manganese concentrations in UCB were significantly associated with maternal biomarkers during pregnancy and delivery; at delivery, association was only observed with arsenic. Prenatal exposure to toxic metals in sensitive periods of organogenesis shows a neglected public health problem. Biomonitoring of the population and establishment of regulations aimed at providing care to vulnerable populations is required.