Environmental metal exposure and growth to 10 years of age in a longitudinal mother-child cohort in rural Bangladesh
- PMID: 34246127
- DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106738
Environmental metal exposure and growth to 10 years of age in a longitudinal mother-child cohort in rural Bangladesh
Abstract
Background: Early-life exposure to arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) has been linked to smaller birth and early childhood anthropometry, but little is known beyond the first years in life.
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of gestational and childhood exposures to As, Cd, and Pb on growth up to 10 years of age.
Methods: We studied 1530 mother-child dyads from a nested sub-cohort of the MINIMat trial in rural Matlab, Bangladesh. Metal concentrations in maternal erythrocytes during pregnancy and in children's urine at 10y were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Child height and weight were measured at 19 occasions from birth until 10y and converted to height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) and weight-for-age Z-scores (WAZ). Associations between log2-transformed metal concentrations and growth parameters were assessed with multivariable-adjusted regression models.
Results: Children's concurrent urinary Cd (median 0.24 µg/L), reflecting long-term exposure, was inversely associated with WAZ (B: -0.072; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.12, -0.020; p = 0.007), and possibly HAZ (B: -0.046; 95% CI: -0.096, 0.0014; p = 0.057), at 10y. The association with WAZ was stronger in boys than in girls. Maternal erythrocyte Cd (median 0.90 µg/kg) during pregnancy was inversely associated with WAZ during childhood only in boys (B: -0.071, 95% CI: -0.14, -0.0047, p = 0.036). Concurrent urinary Pb (median 1.6 µg/L) was inversely associated with WAZ (B: -0.084; 95% CI: -0.16, -0.0085; p = 0.029) and HAZ (B: -0.087; 95% CI: -0.15, -0.021; p = 0.010) in boys, but not in girls. Neither gestational nor childhood As exposure (median maternal erythrocyte As 4.3 µg/kg and children's urinary As 57 µg/L) was associated with growth up to 10y.
Conclusions: While all effect estimates were small, environmental exposure to Cd and Pb is common and impaired growth is of public health concern, especially for children already at risk of reduced growth due to malnutrition. Gender differences in susceptibility need further investigation.
Keywords: Anthropometry; Arsenic; Cadmium; Growth; Lead; Pre-pubertal age.
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Similar articles
-
Early Life Environmental Exposure to Cadmium, Lead, and Arsenic and Age at Menarche: A Longitudinal Mother-Child Cohort Study in Bangladesh.Environ Health Perspect. 2023 Feb;131(2):27003. doi: 10.1289/EHP11121. Epub 2023 Feb 2. Environ Health Perspect. 2023. PMID: 36729392 Free PMC article.
-
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure during pregnancy and child anthropometry from birth to 10 years of age: Sex-specific evidence from a cohort study in rural Bangladesh.Environ Res. 2023 Jun 15;227:115787. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115787. Epub 2023 Mar 28. Environ Res. 2023. PMID: 36997043
-
Environmental exposure to metals and children's growth to age 5 years: a prospective cohort study.Am J Epidemiol. 2013 Jun 15;177(12):1356-67. doi: 10.1093/aje/kws437. Epub 2013 May 14. Am J Epidemiol. 2013. PMID: 23676282 Free PMC article.
-
Prenatal and childhood arsenic exposure through drinking water and food and cognitive abilities at 10 years of age: A prospective cohort study.Environ Int. 2020 Jun;139:105723. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105723. Epub 2020 Apr 13. Environ Int. 2020. PMID: 32298878
-
Critical windows of exposure for arsenic-associated impairment of cognitive function in pre-school girls and boys: a population-based cohort study.Int J Epidemiol. 2011 Dec;40(6):1593-604. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyr176. Int J Epidemiol. 2011. PMID: 22158669
Cited by
-
Associations between Urinary Mercury/Cadmium Concentrations and Anthropometric Features in Korean Children.Toxics. 2024 Feb 24;12(3):175. doi: 10.3390/toxics12030175. Toxics. 2024. PMID: 38535908 Free PMC article.
-
Update of the risk assessment of inorganic arsenic in food.EFSA J. 2024 Jan 18;22(1):e8488. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8488. eCollection 2024 Jan. EFSA J. 2024. PMID: 38239496 Free PMC article.
-
Cadmium reduces growth of male fetuses by impairing development of the placental vasculature and reducing expression of nutrient transporters.Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2023 Sep 15;475:116636. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116636. Epub 2023 Jul 22. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2023. PMID: 37487938
-
Urinary Levels of 14 Metal Elements in General Population: A Region-Based Exploratory Study in China.Toxics. 2023 May 27;11(6):488. doi: 10.3390/toxics11060488. Toxics. 2023. PMID: 37368588 Free PMC article.
-
Early Life Environmental Exposure to Cadmium, Lead, and Arsenic and Age at Menarche: A Longitudinal Mother-Child Cohort Study in Bangladesh.Environ Health Perspect. 2023 Feb;131(2):27003. doi: 10.1289/EHP11121. Epub 2023 Feb 2. Environ Health Perspect. 2023. PMID: 36729392 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Research Materials