Work

Exposure to metal mixtures and growth-related traits in Bangladeshi children aged 5-7 years

Year: 2019

Type: conference-abstract

Abstract: OPS 38: Effects of metals on child health, Room 114, Floor 1, August 27, 2019, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Background: Health effects of toxic and trace metal mixtures in children have not been well characterized. Previous studies suggest associations between exposure to certain metals and growth-related traits, however, most of the associations remain suggestive and have not been replicated. Furthermore, studies to date have focused primarily on single metal analyses without considering the potential for co-exposure and interdependence among metals. Objectives: We evaluated the cross-sectional association of exposure to metal mixtures and anthropometric measures in 491 children aged 5-7 years from the Bangladesh Environmental Research in Children’s Health cohort. Methods: For anthropometric measures, including height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference, z-scores adjusted for child’s age and gender were calculated and modeled as continuous variables. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression analysis was conducted using a panel of 17 metals measured in children’s toenails to generate positive and negative metal mixture indices in a training dataset (n = 196, 40%), and the effects of the indices on anthropometric measures were tested in a validation dataset of 295 children (60%), adjusting for confounding variables. Results: An index predominated by uranium, cadmium, and lead, was inversely associated with z-score of height (β = -0.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.35, -0.07). We also identified an index, predominated by arsenic, cadmium, and uranium, inversely associated with z-score of weight (β = -0.14, 95% CI = -0.28, 0.00). Conclusions: Our results suggest associations between exposure to metal mixtures in early life and growth-related traits in children. Analyses using other statistical approaches to characterize metals mixtures will be conducted.

Source: Environmental Epidemiology

DOI: 10.1097/01.ee9.0000610056.19124.ea