Maternal Cadmium Exposure during Pregnancy and Size at Birth: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Cadmium (Cd) is an embryotoxic and teratogenic metal in a variety of animal species, but data from humans are limited. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of maternal Cd exposure in pregnancy on size at birth. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was nested in a population-based nutritional supplementation trial in pregnancy conducted in rural Bangladesh. We selected women recruited from February 2002 through January 2003 who had a singleton birth with measurements of size at birth and had donated a urine sample in early pregnancy for Cd analyses (n = 1,616). Urinary Cd was measured with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and adjusted for specific gravity. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for…