Blood Lead Levels Among Pregnant Women: Historical Versus Contemporaneous Exposures

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Marie Lynn Miranda¹  Sharon E. Edwards¹  Geeta K. Swamy²  Christopher J. Paul¹ 

[1] Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA; E-Mails:;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, 2608 Erwin Rd, Suite 200 Durham, NC 27705, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: blood lead;    pregnancy;    birth outcomes;    lead exposure;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph7041508

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Blood lead among pregnant women, even at modest levels, may impair offspring cognitive development. We examine whether blood lead levels (BLLs) result from current versus historic exposures, among a cohort of pregnant women. Cumulative logit models were used to characterize the relationship between maternal risk factors and higher BLLs. Maternal blood lead levels more likely result from lead remobilization from historic versus contemporaneous exposures. Even if all lead sources were abated immediately, women and their fetuses would experience lead exposure for decades. This work emphasizes the importance of addressing sources of environmental lead exposure in the United States and internationally.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2010 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.