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Heavy Metal Exposure During Pregnancy and Its Association With Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Summary

This study examined how exposure to multiple heavy metals during pregnancy affects babies’ health in a Chinese population. Researchers measured metal levels in urine samples from nearly 500 pregnant women and found that higher combined metal exposure increased risks of premature birth and low birth weight. The metal arsenic was particularly harmful for preterm birth risk, while selenium, thallium, and manganese together increased low birth weight risk. These findings suggest that pregnant women in areas with heavy metal pollution should take steps to reduce their exposure.

Background

Prenatal exposure to heavy metals has been identified as an important environmental risk factor for adverse birth outcomes. However, most studies examine individual metals in isolation rather than assessing combined effects of mixed metal exposures using advanced analytical methods.

Objective

To investigate the relationship between maternal mixed urinary heavy metal exposure during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes including preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age using advanced machine learning methods including Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression.

Results

Mixed heavy metal exposure showed significant cumulative effects on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Arsenic was identified as the primary toxic component for preterm birth risk. Synergistic effects of selenium, thallium, and manganese were observed for low birth weight. A non-monotonic U-shaped dose-response relationship was identified for small for gestational age.

Conclusion

Combined exposure to heavy metals impairs pregnancy outcomes, with distinct dose-response relationships for different adverse birth outcomes. The findings suggest that reducing mixed metal exposure may help protect both mother and baby, particularly in regions with serious metal pollution.
  • Published in:GeoHealth,
  • Study Type:Cross-Sectional Study,
  • Source: 10.1029/2025GH001471, PMID: 41049278
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