title: Blood lead concentrations in maternal and cord blood evaluated by two analytic methods.
abstract: In this study the authors determined the relationship between blood lead concentrations in pregnant women and newborns, using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) and the LeadCare System (LCS). Fifty-five pregnant women admitted for delivery from June to August 2002 at a hospital in Brazil were included in the study. Blood samples were taken from the women and from umbilical cords to determine serum lead concentrations. Only 3 women had blood lead concentrations > or = 0.48 micromol/L. There were correlations between lead concentrations in women and newborns using either GFAAS (r = 0.83, p < .001) or the LCS (r = 0.75, p < .001). However, there were no statistically significant correlations between the GFAAS and LCS methods, probably because most of the women did not have high concentrations of lead (> or = 0.48 micromol/L). Considering the discrepancy the authors found between the LCS method and the traditional GFAAS method, the authors advise against using the LCS method, especially in populations with levels of lead < or = 0.48 micromol/L.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. luzestela8@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Luz Estela Alva
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Zentner
authors.forename: Patricia Helen de Carvalho
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Rondó
authors.forename: Maria do Rosário Dias de Oliveira
authors.initials: Mdo R
authors.lastname: Latorre
mesh_terms: D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D007854:Lead