title: Blood lead concentrations and pregnancy outcomes.
abstract: In this study, the authors related blood lead concentrations to Apgar scores, birth weight, gestational age, small-for-gestational age, and hypertension in pregnancy (HIP)/toxemia. Data and blood were collected 4 times during pregnancy from 705 women, aged 12-34 yr. Blood lead concentrations, measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, were related to reproductive outcomes, abstracted from medical records. Average blood lead concentrations were 1.2 microgram/dl (standard error = +/- 0.03). Maternal blood lead concentrations were related significantly to HIP/toxemia--before and after adjusting for age, calcium intake, and race/ethnicity (p < .03). Longitudinal regression analyses revealed that blood lead concentrations in women with HIP/toxemia changed by 0.02 microgram/dl for every 0.01 microgram/dl change in women without HIP/toxemia. Maternal blood lead concentration and its change were not significantly associated with other reproductive outcomes. Low levels of maternal blood lead concentrations were significantly associated with HIP/toxemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2029, USA. mfsowers@umich.edu
authors.forename: MaryFran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sowers
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jannausch
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scholl
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Francis W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bogden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D007854:Lead