Placental cadmium and lipid peroxidation in smoking women related to newborn anthropometric measurements.
Smoking during pregnancy is known to be harmful for fetal growth, and cigarette smoke is the major source of cadmium exposure in the general population. Some authors suggest that cadmium accumulated in placenta may be the main cause of the decreased fetal growth shown by infants born to smoking mothers. The aim of our study was to assess any relationship between smoking during pregnancy, placental cadmium levels, placental lipid peroxidation, and anthropometric measurements of newly born babies. The mean values of placental cadmium were significantly higher in smoking mothers, who also produced offspring with reduced neonatal weight, length, head and abdominal circumferences. Lipid peroxidation correlated negatively with birth weight and abdominal circumference. Our results suggest that the cadmium accumulated in placenta is not the reason for reduced fetal growth in smoking mothers and that placental peroxidation is not enhanced by smoking, although the outcome of pregnancy seems to be negatively influenced by lipid peroxidation.
Falcón
M
M
Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Murcia, E-30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain. falcon@um.es
Viñas
P
P
Perez-Cárceles
M D
MD
Luna
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
D002104:Cadmium