Abstract
Blood lead (B-Pb) and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) were measured in 78 mothers at delivery and in cord blood from 48 infants living in an area with low atmospheric Pb pollution. Median B-Pb was 35 μg/l (range 6–63) in mothers and 20 μg/l (range 6–50) in infants (P<0.001), and the values were significantly correlated (r s=0.73, P<0.0001). Mean B-Pb infant/B-Pb mother ratio was 0.7 (range 0.2–1.4). Mothers had lower ZPP (median 1.6 μg/g Hb) than infants (median 2.9) (P<0.0001). ZPP in mothers showed a stronger relation to iron status (serum transferrin, serum ferritin) than to B-Pb (r s=0.22, P<0.05). B-Pb was correlated to serum iron both in mothers (r s=0.28, P<0.02) and infants (r s=0.33, P<0.03). The present B-Pb levels are lower than previously reported in Scandinavia, probably due to the general decline in atmospheric Pb pollution.
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Abbreviations
- B-Pb:
-
blood lead
- Hb:
-
haemoglobin
- ZPP:
-
erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin
References
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Milman, N., Christensen, J.M. & Ibsen, K.K. Blood lead and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin in mothers and newborn infants. Eur J Pediatr 147, 71–73 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00442616
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00442616