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Maternal Exposure to Cadmium and Fetal Growth: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

This study aims to review the epidemiological studies on the association between cadmium (Cd) exposure during pregnancy and neonatal anthropometric measures. Electronic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Collaboration was conducted till end of 2018. Pooled estimates were performed using a fixed-effects model or random-effects model. A total of 22 studies included in the meta-analyses. Subgroup analyses on sample type (maternal urine, maternal blood, cord blood, and placenta), meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis were performed to seek the sources of heterogeneity. In the random-effects meta-analysis of included studies, the pooled correlation coefficient between maternal exposure to Cd with birth weight was − 0.04 [95% CI (− 0.07, − 0.01), with birth length and head circumference as − 0.01 [95% CI (− 0.04, 0.02)] and − 0.02 [95% CI (− 0.06, 0.02)]. Our findings showed significant relationship between Cd exposure of pregnant women with low birth weight, but not with birth length and head circumference.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Mehri Khoshhali & Roya Kelishadi

  2. Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Nasim Rafiei & Bahareh Shoshtari-Yeganeh

  3. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Ziba Farajzadegan

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  1. Mehri Khoshhali
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Correspondence to Bahareh Shoshtari-Yeganeh.

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Khoshhali, M., Rafiei, N., Farajzadegan, Z. et al. Maternal Exposure to Cadmium and Fetal Growth: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Biol Trace Elem Res 195, 9–19 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01819-y

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