IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i8p5536-d1125255.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Non-Essential “Toxic” Trace Elements on Pregnancy Outcomes: A Narrative Overview of Recent Literature Syntheses

Author

Listed:
  • Maria Dettwiler

    (Human Nutrition Laboratory, Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland)

  • Angela C. Flynn

    (Department of Nutritional Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, UK)

  • Jessica Rigutto-Farebrother

    (Human Nutrition Laboratory, Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland)

Abstract

Adverse pregnancy outcomes and their complications cause increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and contribute considerably to the global burden of disease. In the last two decades, numerous narrative and systematic reviews have emerged assessing non-essential, potentially harmful, trace element exposure as a potential risk factor. This narrative review summarizes the recent literature covering associations between exposure to cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury and pregnancy outcomes and highlights common limitations of existing evidence that may hinder decision-making within public health. Several initial scoping searches informed our review, and we searched PubMed (latest date July 2022) for the literature published within the last five years reporting on cadmium, lead, arsenic, or mercury and pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, or prenatal growth. Pre-eclampsia may be associated with cadmium and strongly associated with lead exposure, and exposure to these metals may increase risk of preterm birth. Many reviews have observed cadmium to be negatively associated with birth weight. Additionally, lead and arsenic exposure may be negatively associated with birth weight, with arsenic exposure also adversely affecting birth length and head circumference. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the limitations of the reviews summarized in this paper, including high heterogeneity due to different exposure assessment methods, study designs, and timing of sampling. Other common limitations were the low quality of the included studies, differences in confounding variables, the low number of studies, and small sample sizes.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:8:p:5536-:d:1125255
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/8/5536/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/8/5536/
    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. Abul H. Milton & Sumaira Hussain & Shahnaz Akter & Mijanur Rahman & Tafzila A. Mouly & Kane Mitchell, 2017. "A Review of the Effects of Chronic Arsenic Exposure on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, May.
    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. Giuseppe Genchi & Maria Stefania Sinicropi & Graziantonio Lauria & Alessia Carocci & Alessia Catalano, 2020. "The Effects of Cadmium Toxicity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-24, May.
    5. Kyle Dack & Matthew Fell & Caroline M. Taylor & Alexandra Havdahl & Sarah J. Lewis, 2021. "Mercury and Prenatal Growth: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-19, July.
    6. Amit Kumar & Amit Kumar & Cabral-Pinto M.M.S. & Ashish K. Chaturvedi & Aftab A. Shabnam & Gangavarapu Subrahmanyam & Raju Mondal & Dipak Kumar Gupta & Sandeep K. Malyan & Smita S. Kumar & Shakeel A. K, 2020. "Lead Toxicity: Health Hazards, Influence on Food Chain, and Sustainable Remediation Approaches," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-33, March.
    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. 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.
    2. Martyna A. Rzetala & Robert Machowski & Maksymilian Solarski & Daniel Bakota & Arkadiusz Płomiński & Mariusz Rzetala, 2023. "Toxic Metals, Non-Metals and Metalloids in Bottom Sediments as a Geoecological Indicator of a Water Body’s Suitability for Recreational Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-23, February.
    3. Anirban Goutam Mukherjee & Kaviyarasi Renu & Abilash Valsala Gopalakrishnan & Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan & Sathishkumar Vinayagam & Soraya Paz-Montelongo & Abhijit Dey & Balachandar Vellingiri & Alex , 2023. "Heavy Metal and Metalloid Contamination in Food and Emerging Technologies for Its Detection," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-30, January.
    4. 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.
    5. Cristine Couto de Almeida & Diego dos Santos Baião & Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues & Tatiana Dillenburg Saint’Pierre & Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis & Katia Christina Leandro & Vania Margaret Flosi Paschoalin, 2022. "Toxic Metals and Metalloids in Infant Formulas Marketed in Brazil, and Child Health Risks According to the Target Hazard Quotients and Target Cancer Risk," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-14, September.
    6. Esin Dadasoglu & Melek Ekinci & Metin Turan & Ertan Yildirim, 2022. "Ameliorative Effects of Biochar for Cadmium Stress on Bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-13, November.
    7. 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.
    8. Zaiga Landorfa-Svalbe & Māra Vikmane & Gederts Ievinsh, 2022. "Vermicompost Amendment in Soil Affects Growth and Physiology of Zea mays Plants and Decreases Pb Accumulation in Tissues," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-18, December.
    9. Monika Wróbel & Wojciech Śliwakowski & Paweł Kowalczyk & Karol Kramkowski & Jakub Dobrzyński, 2023. "Bioremediation of Heavy Metals by the Genus Bacillus," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-17, March.
    10. Anthony Milki & Deanna Wong & Chloe Chan & Sarita Sooklal & Daniel S. Kapp & Amandeep K. Mann, 2022. "Increased Urinary Cadmium Levels in Foreign-Born Asian Women—An NHANES Study of 9639 U.S. Participants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-10, February.
    11. Haomin Lei & Xin Xu & Xiaofeng Liu & Junboum Park & Zhongyu Yu & Hao Liu, 2022. "Red Mud-Amended Soil as Highly Adsorptive Hybrid-Fill Materials for Controlling Heavy Metal Sewage Seepage in Industrial Zone," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-15, November.
    12. Adejoke Christianah Olufemi & Andile Mji & Murembiwa Stanley Mukhola, 2022. "Potential Health Risks of Lead Exposure from Early Life through Later Life: Implications for Public Health Education," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-21, November.
    13. Żaneta Ciosek & Karolina Kot & Iwona Rotter, 2023. "Iron, Zinc, Copper, Cadmium, Mercury, and Bone Tissue," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-25, January.
    14. 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.
    15. Mariame Kholaiq & Safaa Benmessaoud & Mohammed Kara & Amine Assouguem & Arshad Mehmood Abbasi & Abdullah Ahmed Al-Ghamdi & Mohamed S. Elshikh & Abdelmajid Rahimi & Najib Saber, 2022. "Sustainability of Coastal Agriculture in the Face of Soil Degradation: The Influence of Water Salinization as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-13, October.
    16. Anwar Ameen Hezam Saeed & Noorfidza Yub Harun & Suriati Sufian & Muhammad Roil Bilad & Zaki Yamani Zakaria & Ahmad Hussaini Jagaba & Aiban Abdulhakim Saeed Ghaleb & Haetham G. Mohammed, 2021. "Pristine and Magnetic Kenaf Fiber Biochar for Cd 2+ Adsorption from Aqueous Solution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-20, July.
    17. Kai-Fan Tsai & Pai-Chin Hsu & Chia-Te Kung & Chien-Te Lee & Huey-Ling You & Wan-Ting Huang & Shau-Hsuan Li & Fu-Jen Cheng & Chin-Chou Wang & Wen-Chin Lee, 2021. "The Risk Factors of Blood Cadmium Elevation in Chronic Kidney Disease," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, November.
    18. Salvatore Raimondo & Mariacira Gentile & Giusy Esposito & Tommaso Gentile & Ida Ferrara & Claudia Crescenzo & Mariangela Palmieri & Felice Cuomo & Stefania De Filippo & Gennaro Lettieri & Marina Pisco, 2021. "Could Kallikrein-Related Serine Peptidase 3 Be an Early Biomarker of Environmental Exposure in Young Women?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-15, August.
    19. Jamila A. Perini & Mayara C. da Silva & Lorena V. Correa & Yasmin M. Silva & Renato M. Borges & Maria de Fátima R. Moreira, 2022. "Chronic Cadmium Exposure and Genetic Polymorphisms of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in a Population Exposed to Steel Slag in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-11, November.
    20. José Javier García Salcedo & Taehyun Roh & Lydia Enith Nava Rivera & Nadia Denys Betancourt Martínez & Pilar Carranza Rosales & María Francisco San Miguel Salazar & Mario Alberto Rivera Guillén & Luis, 2022. "Comparative Biomonitoring of Arsenic Exposure in Mothers and Their Neonates in Comarca Lagunera, Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-10, December.

    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:20:y:2023:i:8:p:5536-:d:1125255. 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.