Adverse associations between maternal and neonatal cadmium exposure and birth outcomes.
Effects of low-level cadmium (Cd) exposure during early life on fetal growth remain unclear. Our aim was to evaluate whether Cd exposure in maternal urine and umbilical cord blood was associated with birth size parameters. A birth cohort study including 1073 mother-newborn pairs was conducted from 2009 to 2010 in an agricultural population in China. Cd concentrations were analyzed in both cord blood and maternal urine. Generalized linear models were performed to determine associations between maternal and neonatal exposure to Cd and birth indicators, including birth weight, length, head circumference and ponderal index. The median (25th to 75th percentile) value of Cd concentration in maternal urine and umbilical cord blood was 0.19 (0.08, 1.00) μg/L and 0.40 (<LOD~0.62) μg/L, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, Cd concentration in cord blood was significantly negatively associated with ponderal index at birth [β=-0.06g/cm3, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.11, -0.02; p<0.01]. Considering sex difference, significant reduction in ponderal index was only observed in males (β=-0.06g/cm3, 95%CI: -0.11, -0.02; p<0.01), but not in females (β=-0.03g/cm3, 95%CI: -0.07, 0.01; p=0.18) (p for interaction term=0.24). Additionally, no significant associations were observed between maternal urinary Cd levels and birth outcomes. Our findings suggest that adverse effects of neonatal exposure to Cd on fetal growth are of considerable public health importance.
School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
Jianqiu
J
Guo
School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address: chwu@fudan.edu.cn.
Chunhua
C
Wu
School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China; Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 3399, Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China.
Xiaojuan
X
Qi
School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 1380 Zhongshan West Road, Shanghai 200336, China.
Shuai
S
Jiang
School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
Qiang
Q
Liu
School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
Jiming
J
Zhang
Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro 70182, Sweden; Unit of Biostatistics, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17177, Sweden.
Yang
Y
Cao
School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
Xiuli
X
Chang
School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education/Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address: zjzhou@fudan.edu.cn.
Zhijun
Z
Zhou
D001724:Birth Weight; D002104:Cadmium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy
D002104:Cadmium
Birth outcomes; Cadmium; Cord blood; Newborns; Urine