In-utero arsenic exposure and growth of infants from birth to 6 months of age: a prospective cohort study in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

ABSTRACT Arsenic exposure in postnatal life impacts the growth of children, but little is known about the effect of in-utero arsenic exposure on growth very early in childhood. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between in-utero arsenic exposure and the growth of infants from birth to 6 months of age using monthly follow-up data. A prospective cohort study was conducted in rural areas of Bangladesh with 108 mother-infant pairs. This study identified a negative association between in-utero arsenic exposure and head circumference of infants 1–6 months of age (coefficient = −1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −1.97, −0.42), and the effect was more pronounced in the earlier ages of 1–3 months (coefficient = −0.88, 95% CI: −1.70, −0.05). Because head circumference is considered as a surrogate of brain size, our findings suggest that in-utero arsenic exposure influences brain growth during an important developmental period.