Prenatal Exposure to Nitrate from Drinking Water and Markers of Fetal Growth Restriction: A Population-Based Study of Nearly One Million Danish-Born Children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

High levels of nitrate (NO3-) in drinking water cause methemoglobinemia in infants; however, few studies have examined the potential effects of low-level exposure on fetal growth, and the results have been inconsistent.

Objectives

We sought to assess the association between maternal exposure to nitrate in drinking water during pregnancy and offspring size at birth in a nationwide study of full-term (≥37 wk gestation) live-born singletons.

Methods

We estimated maternal nitrate exposure for 898,206 births in Denmark during 1991-2011 by linkage of individual home address(es) with nitrate data from the national monitoring database. Maternal address during pregnancy, infant size at birth [i.e., birth weight, low birth weight (LBW), body length, and birth head ci

SUBMITTER: Coffman VR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7861494 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature