Assessment of Blood Lead Levels in Mothers Addicted to Opium and Their Neonates in Kerman: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: High blood lead levels (BLLs) in pregnant women are associated with poor outcome in neonates. One of the newest non-occupational sources of lead contamination is opium consumption. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess BLLs in mothers addicted to opium and their neonates in Kerman. Methods: This cross-sectional was conducted in Afzalipour hospital in Kerman, from February ۲۰۱۹ to February ۲۰۲۰. The BLLs were measured in ۱۰۰ opium-addicted and non-addicted mothers and their newborns, and the lead levels higher than ۵ μg/dL were considered contamination. Then, the demographic and anthropometric data were compared.Findings: Based on the results of the present study, the BLLs of opium-addicted mothers (۳۳.۴۰±۹.۲۲ μg/dL vs ۳.۲±۱.۵ μg/dL) and their neonates (۱۳.۴۶±۴.۸۶ vs ۱.۱±۰.۹) were significantly higher (P=۰.۰۰۱) than those of non-addicts. Moreover, the average birth weight of the newborns in the addicted group was significantly lower than in the non-addicted group (۲۵۷۲.۸±۷۷.۴۹ vs ۲۹۴۶±۴۶.۸۷) (P=۰.۰۰۱). Besides, there was a significant relationship between the average birth weight and the BLL of the mother and baby, and the average weight of the babies was significantly lower at higher levels of lead. However, no correlationwas observed regarding the average height and head circumference of the neonates (P>۰.۰۵).Conclusion: It seems that the serum level of lead in neonates of opium-addicted mothers contaminated with lead is significantly higher than that of non-addicts, but their anthropometric characteristics at birth were not different from those of the nonaddicted group.

Keywords:

Environmental exposure , Maternal Exposure , Neonatal screening , Maternal behavior