Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on March 3, 2006
Human Reproduction 2006 21(7):1901-1906; doi:10.1093/humrep/del047
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Maternal lead exposure and the secondary sex ratio
1 Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 3 Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, Mexico City, Mexico and 4 Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Womens Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
5 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Calgary, 1403, 29th Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 2T9. E-mail: john.jarrell{at}calgaryhealthregion.ca
BACKGROUND: A reduction in the secondary sex ratio may be associated with exposure to environmental toxicants. Little data exists relating this outcome to lead exposure, a well-known reproductive toxicant. METHODS: We studied 1980 women having singleton births from 1994 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2001 who participated in a cohort study of lead exposure and infant outcomes in Mexico City. Levels of lead were measured in maternal and cord blood using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy, and levels of lead in maternal patella and tibia bone (a reflection of cumulative exposure) were measured using noninvasive K-X-ray fluorescence measurements. Using logistic regression models, we evaluated the relations of these measures to secondary sex ratio in the offspring, adjusting for maternal age, parity and year of infants birth. RESULTS: We found no consistent association between any of the lead measures and secondary sex ratio. Results were unchanged when we adjusted for infants year of birth, maternal age and parity. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a large sample size and the use of sensitive biomarkers, we did not find evidence that maternal and fetal lead exposure is associated with a lower secondary sex ratio among newborns.
Key words: bone lead/lead/lead measurements/pregnancy/secondary sex ratio
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