The first step in modli lead kinetics during pregnancy includes a description of sequential matenal blood lead (PbB) Cross-sectional studies of groups of women at different stages of pregnancy present conflicting results (1-3), and the design is inadequate to study serial changes of lead during pregnancy. Case studies with serial measurements of PbB in pregnant women are interesting (4-6), but these are usually of women suffering frank lead intoxication.The only detailed work prospectively studying PbB in pregnant women is that of Barltrop (7) A priori exclusion criteria for the study were: 1) younger than 15, older than 42; 2) active diabetes, German measles, hepatitis, or toxoplasmosis, as determined by laboratory test, 3) habitual use of alcohol or drugs, 4) use of prescription medications, 5) hypertension controlled with medication, 6) active psychosis. Women not excluded by these criteria were informed of the purpose of the study and the procedures involved. They read, or were read, a statement of informed consent approved by the institutional review board, and signed it.A total of 532 women passed the exclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. Of this total, 30 never arrived at the project office for their first or following appointments. One case developed hypoglycemia and 27 developed conditions described by the above exclusion criteria during their pregnancy; 22 spontaneously aborted, and 16 were stillbirths. We will report these data elsewhere. The exclusion of these subjects left 436 participants.Some of the remaining women gave birth to babies meeting the following a priori exclusion criteria, and these 22 pregnancies were also removed from the present data set: 1) birth weight under 2000 g, 2) gestation age under 36 weeks, 3) 5-min Apgar score under 6, 4) multiple birth, and 5) major congenital anomaly. An additional 41 babies suffered from hyperbilirubinemia, high lead level [one baby was born with a cord level of 69 pg/dl (3.33 pmol/l); see Rothenberg et al. (6) for description of this case], minor congenital anomaly, severe infection, birth trauma, asphyxia, respiratory difficulty, or early infant death, and these cases were also excluded from the data set. Table 1 summarizes data on 159 patients who were excluded or who dropped out of the study and compares them to 373 patients retained in the study. Excluded patients were significantly older, had more pregnancies and abortions, and gave birth to lower birth-weight and lower