Arsenic Exposure in Pregnancy Increases the Risk of Lower Respiratory Tract Infection and Diarrhea during Infancy in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported associations between prenatal arsenic exposure and increased risk of infant mortality. An increase in infectious diseases has been proposed as the underlying cause of these associations, but there is no epidemiologic research to support the hypothesis. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the association between arsenic exposure in pregnancy and morbidity during infancy. METHODS: This prospective population-based cohort study included 1,552 live-born infants of women enrolled during 2002-2004 in Matlab, Bangladesh. Arsenic exposure was assessed by the concentrations of metabolites of inorganic arsenic in maternal urine samples collected at gestational weeks 8 and 30. Information on symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and diarrhea in infants was collected by 7-day recalls at monthly home visits. RESULTS: In…