Associations of Prenatal First Trimester Essential and Nonessential Metal Mixtures with Body Size and Adiposity in Childhood.

Abstract

Background: Prenatal nonessential metals may contribute to postnatal adiposity, whereas essential metals may have metabolic benefits. We evaluated joint and individual associations between prenatal metals and childhood adiposity. Methods: We measured concentrations of six nonessential (arsenic, barium, cadmium, cesium, lead, and mercury) and four essential (magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc) metals in first trimester maternal blood from a prebirth cohort. We collected anthropometric measures in early childhood, mid-childhood, and early adolescence including subscapular+tricep skinfold thickness (mm) (N = 715-859), waist circumference (cm) (N = 717-882), and body mass index (BMI) (z-score) (N = 716-875). We measured adiposity in mid-childhood and early adolescence using bone densitometry totaland trunk-fat mass index (kg/m 2 ) (N = 511-599). We estimated associations using adjusted quantile g-computation and linear regression. Results: The nonessential metal mixture was associated with higher total (β = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01, 0.12) and trunk fat mass index (β = 0.12, CI = 0.02, 0.22), waist circumference (β = 0.01, CI = 0.00, 0.01), and BMI (β = 0.24, CI = 0.07, 0.41) in mid-childhood, and total fat mass index (β = 0.07, CI = 0.01, 0.14), and BMI (β = 0.19, CI = 0.02, 0.37) in early adolescence. The essential metal mixture was associated with lower early adolescence total-(β = -0.11, CI = -0.17, -0.04) and trunk-fat mass index (β = -0.13, CI = -0.21, -0.05), subscapular+tricep skinfold thickness (β = -0.02, CI = -0.03, -0.00), waist circumference (β = -0.003, CI = -0.01, -0.00), and BMI (β = -0.16, CI = -0.28, -0.04). Cadmium and cesium were individually associated with childhood adiposity at different timepoints. Conclusions: Prenatal first-trimester essential metals were associated with lower childhood adiposity, whereas nonessential metals were associated with higher adiposity into adolescence.

Investigating the impact of elevated urinary trace elements on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using vibration-controlled transient elastography

“…In a study conducted with middle-aged women in the United States, it was discovered that there was an inverse relationship between Cs levels and the likelihood of developing metabolic syndromes, determined by the environmental risk score system ( 29 ). However, when examining children, exposure to Cs during pregnancy was significantly associated with childhood obesity ( 30 ). An investigation using exposure omics techniques revealed a positive association between blood Cs levels resulting from early life environmental exposure and the occurrence of childhood obesity ( 31 ).…”

Associations between prenatal blood metals and vitamins and cord blood peptide hormone concentrations

“…with lower childhood adiposity. 10 One possible biological pathway that could mediate the observed associations between prenatal metals and childhood adiposity is through growth and metabolic-related peptide hormones. For example, higher cord blood adiponectin and leptin have been associated with early life weight gain and adiposity.…”

“…Median RBC concentrations of all essential metals were within reference ranges, and median RBC concentrations of cadmium, lead, and mercury were similar to those in whole blood from subsets of female National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants, as illustrated in our prior studies. 10,25 Cord blood hormone distributions Cord blood hormone distributions are described in Table 2. Hormones were positively and moderately correlated with one another (r < 0.5), except for insulin and C-peptide (r = 0.81), IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 (r = 0.67) or IGF-2 (r = 0.66) (Figure S3, http://links.lww.com/EE/A245).…”

“…We previously observed that a prenatal mixture of nonessential metals was associated with higher childhood adiposity, whereas a prenatal mixture of essential metals was associated with lower childhood adiposity. 10 One possible biological pathway that could mediate the observed associations between prenatal metals and childhood adiposity is through growth and metabolic-related peptide hormones. For example, higher cord blood adiponectin and leptin have been associated with early life weight gain and adiposity.…”

Association between Heavy Metals, Metalloids and Metabolic Syndrome: New Insights and Approaches

“…Emerging data suggest that early life exposure to Hg, either in utero or during childhood, can influence development of obesity and MetS in children and adolescents. Women with high blood levels of nonessential metals, including As, Ba, Cd, Cs, Pb, and Hg, during their first trimester of pregnancy had children with larger trunk fat mass index, waist circumference, and BMI in mid-childhood and early adolescence [ 212 ]. These data suggest that early exposure to metals during pregnancy may affect the weight and development of obesity in children many years post-birth.…”