Exposure to heavy metals and trace elements among pregnant women with twins: levels and association with twin growth discordance

作者：Lu Chen, Wei Zhao, Li Zhao, Qiongxin Liang, Jun Tang, Weixiao Zhou, Yanhua Zhang, Hong Wen · 发表于：Frontiers in Public Health · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3389/fpubh.2024.1203381 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity、Pregnancy and Medication Impact、Preterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis

Background: Twin growth discordance is one of the leading causes of perinatal mortality in twin pregnancies. Whether prenatal exposure to heavy metals and trace elements is associated with twin growth discordance has not been studied yet. Objective: To evaluate the prenatal level of heavy metals and trace elements in twin pregnancy and its relationship with twin growth discordance. Methods: This study involving 60 twin pairs and their mothers was conducted in Zhejiang Province, China, in 2020-2021. The concentration of heavy metals and trace elements in maternal blood, umbilical cord, and placenta were collected at delivery and measured by inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometer. The association of prenatal level with twin growth discordance was evaluated using conditional logistic regression. Results: High levels of heavy metal elements (thallium in maternal blood and umbilical cord blood of larger twins, vanadium in the placenta of larger twins) and trace elements (iodine in the placenta of larger twins) during pregnancy, as well as low levels of heavy metal elements (strontium in the umbilical cord blood of larger twins, strontium and chromium in the umbilical cord blood of smaller twins, strontium in the placenta of larger twins, molybdenum and lead in the placenta of smaller twins and difference of molybdenum in the placenta of twins), are associated with intertwin birthweight discordance. Univariate regression analyses showed a significant effect of gestatio...