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Pre‐ and postnatal arsenic exposure and growth of infants and young children: a cohort study in rural Bangladesh
Author(s) -
Saha Kuntal K.,
Hamadani Jena D.,
Rasmussen Kathleen M.,
Vahter Marie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.227.4
Subject(s) - arsenic , medicine , interquartile range , gestation , offspring , pregnancy , anthropometry , pediatrics , urinary system , urine , cohort , birth weight , cohort study , confounding , obstetrics , physiology , biology , chemistry , organic chemistry , genetics
During pregnancy, maternal arsenic exposure via drinking water is associated with fetal loss, small size at birth, infant morbidity and mortality. In contrast, little is known about the effects of pre‐ and postnatal arsenic exposure on growth of infants and young children. We studied this in 2372 infants born to mothers enrolled in a large community‐based intervention trial in rural Bangladesh. Arsenic exposure was assessed by arsenic metabolites in mothers' (8 and 30 wk of gestation) and children's (18 mo) urine, measured by hydride generation on line with AAS or ICP‐MS. Children's weight and length were measured monthly in the first and quarterly in the second year. General linear models were used to examine the association of arsenic exposure with child growth adjusted for potential confounders. Median (interquartile range) urinary arsenic of mothers at 8 and 30 wk of gestation was 81μg/L (37–207 μg/L) and 84 μg/L (42–230 μg/L), respectively. Children's urinary arsenic at 18 mo was 34 μg/L (18–79 μg/L). Neither maternal nor child urinary arsenic was associated with attained weight, length, and anthropometric indices. Thus, despite high exposure, there was no effect of arsenic on growth during infancy and early childhood. It remains unknown whether other manifestations of arsenic exposure on child health and development will appear as they get older. (This study was funded by Sida, EU PHIME and Karolinska Institutet)