IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i18p6698-d413550.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

It Takes Time to Unravel the Ecology of War in Gaza, Palestine: Long-Term Changes in Maternal, Newborn and Toddlers’ Heavy Metal Loads, and Infant and Toddler Developmental Milestones in the Aftermath of the 2014 Military Attacks

Author

Listed:
  • Nabil al Baraquoni

    (Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza, Palestine)

  • Samir R. Qouta

    (Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Al Tarfa Street, Zone 70, Doha, P.O. Box 200592, Qatar)

  • Mervi Vänskä

    (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland)

  • Safwat Y. Diab

    (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland)

  • Raija-Leena Punamäki

    (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland)

  • Paola Manduca

    (Association for Scientific Research, Nwrg-onlus, 16123 Genova, Italy)

Abstract

Toxicant, teratogen and carcinogen metal war remnants negatively affect human health. The current study analyzes, first, the persistence of heavy metal contamination in newborn hair in four cohorts across time in Gaza Palestine; second, the change in mothers’ and infants’ heavy metal contamination from birth to toddlerhood; and third, the impact of heavy metal contamination on infants’ and toddlers’ growth and development. The hair of newborns was analyzed for twelve heavy metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) in cohorts recruited at delivery in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2018–2019. In the 2015 cohort, mothers’ hair samples were taken at delivery, and toddlers and mothers hair were also analyzed 18 months later. Growth levels of infants at six months and toddlers at 18 months were assessed according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards according to a mother report and pediatric check-up, respectively. 1. The level of metal contamination in utero was persistently high across 8 years, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, following three major military attacks (2009, 2012, 2014). 2. The 2015 cohort babies exposed in utero to attacks in 2014 at six months showed association of high load at birth in mother of arsenic and in newborn of barium with underweight, of barium and molybdenum in newborn with stunting. 3. Eighteen months after birth, toddlers had a higher level of metals in hairs than when they were born, while, in their mothers, such levels were similar to those at delivery, confirming persistence in the environment of war remnants. Underweight and stunting, both in infants and toddlers, were higher than reported for previous years, as well as being progressive within the cohort. Severe environmental factors, metal contamination and food insecurity put Gaza’s infant health at risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Nabil al Baraquoni & Samir R. Qouta & Mervi Vänskä & Safwat Y. Diab & Raija-Leena Punamäki & Paola Manduca, 2020. "It Takes Time to Unravel the Ecology of War in Gaza, Palestine: Long-Term Changes in Maternal, Newborn and Toddlers’ Heavy Metal Loads, and Infant and Toddler Developmental Milestones in the Aftermath," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-18, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6698-:d:413550
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6698/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6698/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kyi Mar Wai & Ohn Mar & Satoko Kosaka & Mitsutoshi Umemura & Chiho Watanabe, 2017. "Prenatal Heavy Metal Exposure and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Myanmar: A Birth-Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-13, November.
    2. Awny Naim & Hedaya Al Dalies & Mohammed El Balawi & Eman Salem & Kholud Al Meziny & Raneem Al Shawwa & Roberto Minutolo & Paola Manduca, 2012. "Birth Defects in Gaza: Prevalence, Types, Familiarity and Correlation with Environmental Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Paola Manduca & Awny Naim & Simona Signoriello, 2014. "Specific Association of Teratogen and Toxicant Metals in Hair of Newborns with Congenital Birth Defects or Developmentally Premature Birth in a Cohort of Couples with Documented Parental Exposure to M," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-16, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Paola Manduca & Nabil Al Baraquni & Stefano Parodi, 2020. "Long Term Risks to Neonatal Health from Exposure to War—9 Years Long Survey of Reproductive Health and Contamination by Weapon-Delivered Heavy Metals in Gaza, Palestine," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-20, April.
    2. Meghan A. Cook & Pardeep S. Jagpal & Khin Hnin Pwint & Lai Lai San & Saint Saint Kyaw Thein & Thidar Pyone & Win Moh Moh Thit & Sally M. Bradberry & Samuel Collins, 2021. "Systematic Review of Human Poisoning and Toxic Exposures in Myanmar," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Rasheda Khanam & Ishaan Kumar & Opeyemi Oladapo-Shittu & Claire Twose & ASMD Ashraful Islam & Shyam S. Biswal & Rubhana Raqib & Abdullah H. Baqui, 2021. "Prenatal Environmental Metal Exposure and Preterm Birth: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Paola Manduca & Awny Naim & Simona Signoriello, 2014. "Specific Association of Teratogen and Toxicant Metals in Hair of Newborns with Congenital Birth Defects or Developmentally Premature Birth in a Cohort of Couples with Documented Parental Exposure to M," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-16, May.
    5. Maria Dettwiler & Angela C. Flynn & Jessica Rigutto-Farebrother, 2023. "Effects of Non-Essential “Toxic” Trace Elements on Pregnancy Outcomes: A Narrative Overview of Recent Literature Syntheses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-16, April.
    6. Homègnon A. Ferréol Bah & Nathália R. dos Santos & Erival A. Gomes Junior & Daisy O. Costa & Victor O. Martinez & Elis Macêdo Pires & João V. Araújo Santana & Filipe da Silva Cerqueira & José A. Menez, 2023. "Maternal Exposure to Potentially Toxic Metals and Birth Weight: Preliminary Results from the DSAN-12M Birth Cohort in the Recôncavo Baiano, Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-15, June.
    7. Elisabet Navarro-Tapia & Mariona Serra-Delgado & Lucía Fernández-López & Montserrat Meseguer-Gilabert & María Falcón & Giorgia Sebastiani & Sebastian Sailer & Oscar Garcia-Algar & Vicente Andreu-Ferná, 2021. "Toxic Elements in Traditional Kohl-Based Eye Cosmetics in Spanish and German Markets," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-16, June.
    8. Johanna Suomi & Liisa Valsta & Pirkko Tuominen, 2021. "Dietary Heavy Metal Exposure among Finnish Adults in 2007 and in 2012," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-16, October.
    9. Mauro Cristaldi & Cristiano Foschi & Germana Szpunar & Carlo Brini & Fiorenzo Marinelli & Lucio Triolo, 2013. "Toxic Emissions from a Military Test Site in the Territory of Sardinia, Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6698-:d:413550. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.