title: The relationship between blood lead levels and occupational exposure in a pregnant population.
abstract: Pregnant women exposed to lead are at risk of suffering reproductive damages, such as miscarriage, preeclampsia, premature delivery and low birth weight. Despite that the workplace offers the greatest potential for lead exposure, there is relatively little information about occupational exposure to lead during pregnancy. This study aims to assess the association between blood lead levels and occupational exposure in pregnant women from Durango, Mexico.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study was carried out in a population of 299 pregnant women. Blood lead was measured in 31 women who worked in jobs where lead is used (exposed group) and 268 who did not work in those places (control group). Chi-square test was applied to compare exposed and control groups with regard to blood lead levels. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Multivariable regression analysis was applied to determine significant predictors of blood lead concentrations in the exposed group.
  
  
  
  Exposed women had higher blood lead levels than those in the control group (4.00 ± 4.08 μg/dL vs 2.65 ± 1.75 μg/dL, p = 0.002). Furthermore, women in the exposed group had 3.82 times higher probability of having blood lead levels ≥ 5 μg/dL than those in the control group. Wearing of special workwear, changing clothes after work, living near a painting store, printing office, junkyard or rubbish dump, and washing the workwear together with other clothes resulted as significant predictors of elevated blood lead levels in the exposed group.
  
  
  
  Pregnant working women may be at risk of lead poisoning because of occupational and environmental exposure. The risk increases if they do not improve the use of protective equipment and their personal hygiene.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Científica, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Avenida Universidad esq. con Volantín, Zona Centro, C.P. 34000, Durango, DGO, Mexico. ollave56@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Osmel
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: La-Llave-León
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Científica, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Avenida Universidad esq. con Volantín, Zona Centro, C.P. 34000, Durango, DGO, Mexico.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Salas Pacheco
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Científica, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Avenida Universidad esq. con Volantín, Zona Centro, C.P. 34000, Durango, DGO, Mexico.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Estrada Martínez
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Enfermería y Obstetricia, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Ave. Cuauhtémoc, 223 norte, CP 34 000, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Eloísa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esquivel Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Científica, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Avenida Universidad esq. con Volantín, Zona Centro, C.P. 34000, Durango, DGO, Mexico.
authors.forename: Francisco X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Castellanos Juárez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Científica, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Avenida Universidad esq. con Volantín, Zona Centro, C.P. 34000, Durango, DGO, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sandoval Carrillo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Científica, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Avenida Universidad esq. con Volantín, Zona Centro, C.P. 34000, Durango, DGO, Mexico.
authors.forename: Angélica María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lechuga Quiñones
authors.affiliation: Hospital General de Durango, Secretaría de Salud de Durango, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vázquez Alanís
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina de Gómez Palacio, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, La Salle 1 y Sixto Ugalde, S/N. Col. Revolución, CP. 35050, Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García Vargas
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Científica, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Avenida Universidad esq. con Volantín, Zona Centro, C.P. 34000, Durango, DGO, Mexico.
authors.forename: Edna Madai
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Méndez Hernández
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina de Gómez Palacio, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, La Salle 1 y Sixto Ugalde, S/N. Col. Revolución, CP. 35050, Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duarte Sustaita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000209:etiology; D008800:Mexico; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000139:chemically induced; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007854:Lead
keywords: Blood lead; Occupational exposure; Pregnant women; Risk factors