Significant Association Found Between Early Pregnancy Metal Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children at Age 3
In a new study from the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI) and Markers of Autism Risk in Babies Learning Early Signs (MARBLES), researchers, including Irva Hertz-Picciotto, examined prenatal metal exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in two prospective birth cohorts of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The authors found that higher levels of cadmium in urine during early pregnancy were consistently associated with an increased risk of atypical neurodevelopmental outcomes, including ASD, at age 3. This relationship remained consistent across different stages of pregnancy and remained strong when analyzed using other methods. Similar trends were observed for cesium, although with some variation across time periods. These findings suggest that exposure to metals during pregnancy may contribute to the risk of ASD and related developmental conditions. This study underscores the importance of understanding environmental influences on neurodevelopment and calls for further research to explore causal mechanisms and potential public health interventions to reduce metal exposures during pregnancy.
