Honorable mention manuscriptLead toxicity during pregnancy
Section snippets
Effects of lead on mother and fetus
Lead is not a normal constituent metal in mammalian tissues, and serves no physiologic purpose in humans. Both mother and fetus can be affected by lead exposure, with detrimental long- and short-term consequences.12 In fact, intrauterine exposure continues to be an important cause of childhood lead poisoning. Importantly, this exposure is largely preventable. There is, therefore, great virtue in the identification of women with high lead levels early during pregnancy or, preferably,
Sources of lead exposure
One of the most important steps in preventing lead poisoning is the identification of the source of exposure. This can be challenging because lead is so common in our industrialized environment. In fact, lead exposure was the third most common hazardous occupational exposure (after radiation and organic solvents) noted in a Canadian survey.28 Occupations that put employees and their families at particularly high risk include lead smeltering, stained glass making, paint manufacturing, radiator
Lead screening in pregnancy
Universal screening of blood lead levels in children at 6 months and 2 years of age was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1991. Six years later, this recommendation was modified to recommend selective screening of children at high risk, as determined by postal zip code or answers to a standardized questionnaire.3 This questionnaire addresses the following five items: exposure to peeling or chipped paint; recent, ongoing or planned home renovations; job or
Treatment
Separating the patient and the source of exposure is the first and most important step in treating any patient with lead poisoning or in reducing the risk of its appearance. For patients with very high levels, treatment with chelating agents is generally the treatment of choice. These drugs bind avidly to lead and promote its elimination from the body. Currently available chelation agents are dimercaprol (BAL), calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetra-acetate (EDTA), D-penicillamine,
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Cited by (25)
Metabolomics insights into the effects of pre-pregnancy lead exposure on bone metabolism in pregnant rats
2023, Environmental PollutionNeurotoxicity of low-level lead exposure: History, mechanisms of action, and behavioral effects in humans and preclinical models
2019, NeuroToxicologyCitation Excerpt :Flint is not an anomaly (Pell and Schneyer, 2016). Lead is a modern problem that poses health risks and is easily transferred from the mother's bloodstream to the fetus, thus transcending generations (Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, 2005; Gardella, 2001; Gulson et al., 1997; Silbergeld, 1991; Téllez-Rojo et al., 2004; Weizsaecker, 2003). An individual's lead burden is often measured by lead found in blood.
Lessons Learned From the Crisis in Flint, Michigan Regarding the Effects of Contaminated Water on Maternal and Child Health
2017, JOGNN - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal NursingCitation Excerpt :Risk factors for lead exposure in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are located in Table 2. According to Weizsaecker (2003), the absorption of lead occurs primarily in the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. A significant amount also may be absorbed through the skin.
Perinatal lead exposure alters locomotion induced by amphetamine analogs in rats
2011, Life SciencesCitation Excerpt :Blood lead levels reach a peak during the second trimester at which point the metal is absorbed by the placenta, crosses the underdeveloped blood-brain barrier, and penetrates the soft bone structure. Although lead in blood may have a biologic half-life approximating 1 month, the half-life of lead in bone is estimated to be 20–30 years (Weizaecker 2003). Accordingly, possible health consequences associated with early lead exposure may be long lasting.
Long-term human exposure to lead from different media and intake pathways
2010, Science of the Total EnvironmentCitation Excerpt :The sources of exposure assessed in this paper are limited to environmental compartments: soil, air, water, and food (biota), in order to keep the same “multimedia” approach (i.e. the idea of the environment considered as a system of interrelated compartments) that can be found in existing multimedia models (McKone and Daniels, 1991; Bennett et al., 2002). Other sources of exposure exist apart from the ones considered in this study, such as, for example, exposure from dust, via dermal contact, and via transfer of lead from mother to child during pregnancy (WHO, 1995b; Manton et al., 2000; Weizsaecker, 2003). Ingestion of dust has not been included in this study, even if its contribution could be significant.