RESUMO
Lead levels in samples of the groups at highest risk to the effects of lead exposure, pregnant women and their infants, are higher than levels known to produce developmental retardation in children in a considerable proportion of the sample tested in Mexico City. Modeling of prenatal factors predicting maternal lead during pregnancy shows the strong effect of the use of low-temperature ceramics on lead level. The data also suggests an important contribution from air lead. The downward trend in lead exposure in pregnant women in the Valley of Mexico over the last 10 years, concurrent with downward trends in air lead is encouraging. However, reducing the manufacture and use of leaded pottery could produce a significant further reduction of lead exposure with a modest program of public education, government regulation and subsidization of lead free pottery.
Assuntos
Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Chumbo/efeitos adversos , Gravidez/efeitos dos fármacos , População Suburbana , População Urbana , Adolescente , Adulto , Exposição Ambiental/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Chumbo/sangue , Masculino , México/epidemiologia , Gravidez/sangue , População Suburbana/estatística & dados numéricos , População Urbana/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
Gestation age and ability of the baby to self-quiet and to be consoled during the first 30 days of life decrease when mother's blood lead levels rise from 36 weeks of pregnancy to birth of child. These effects appear to be independent of the absolute lead levels of mother and child (N = 42). Since pre- and perinatal stress predicts higher maternal birth lead, further work could determine the relative contributions of undetected stress during pregnancy and elevated lead levels upon subsequent development. Several cases, not included in the statistical analyses, showed associations between cord leads greatly elevated over maternal leads and poor outcome.