Early Life Environmental Exposure to Cadmium, Lead, and Arsenic and Age at Menarche: A Longitudinal Mother-Child Cohort Study in Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several metals act as endocrine disruptors, but there are few large longitudinal studies about associations with puberty onset.

Objectives

We evaluated whether early life cadmium, lead, and arsenic exposure was associated with timing of menarche.

Methods

In a mother-child cohort in rural Bangladesh (n=935), the exposure was assessed by concentrations in maternal erythrocytes in early pregnancy and in girls' urine at 5 and 10 years of age using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The girls were interviewed twice, at average ages 13.3 [standard deviation (SD)=0.43] and 13.8 (SD=0.43) y, and the date of menarche, if present, was recorded. Associations were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariable-adjusted Cox regression.

Results

SUBMITTER: Malin Igra A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9894154 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature