Journal article
Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project
BMJ open, v 9(8), pp e030427-e030427
Aug 2019
PMID: 31455712
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
PurposeThe Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project is a mother–child pregnancy and birth cohort originally initiated in the mid-1990s to explore: (1) whether enhanced mobilisation of lead from maternal bone stores during pregnancy poses a risk to fetal and subsequent offspring neurodevelopment; and (2) whether maternal calcium supplementation during pregnancy and lactation can suppress bone lead mobilisation and mitigate the adverse effects of lead exposure on offspring health and development. Through utilisation of carefully archived biospecimens to measure other prenatal exposures, banking of DNA and rigorous measurement of a diverse array of outcomes, ELEMENT has since evolved into a major resource for research on early life exposures and developmental outcomes.Participantsn=1643 mother–child pairs sequentially recruited (between 1994 and 2003) during pregnancy or at delivery from maternity hospitals in Mexico City, Mexico.Findings to dateMaternal bone (eg, patella, tibia) is an endogenous source for fetal lead exposure due to mobilisation of stored lead into circulation during pregnancy and lactation, leading to increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and smaller head circumference, and transfer of lead into breastmilk. Daily supplementation with 1200 mg of elemental calcium during pregnancy and lactation reduces lead resorption from maternal bone and thereby, levels of circulating lead. Beyond perinatal outcomes, early life exposure to lead is associated with neurocognitive deficits, behavioural disorders, higher blood pressure and lower weight in offspring during childhood. Some of these relationships were modified by dietary factors; genetic polymorphisms specific for iron, folate and lipid metabolism; and timing of exposure. Research has also expanded to include findings published on other toxicants such as those associated with personal care products and plastics (eg, phthalates, bisphenol A), other metals (eg, mercury, manganese, cadmium), pesticides (organophosphates) and fluoride; other biomarkers (eg, toxicant levels in plasma, hair and teeth); other outcomes (eg, sexual maturation, metabolic syndrome, dental caries); and identification of novel mechanisms via epigenetic and metabolomics profiling.Future plansAs the ELEMENT mothers and children age, we plan to (1) continue studying the long-term consequences of toxicant exposure during the perinatal period on adolescent and young adult outcomes as well as outcomes related to the original ELEMENT mothers, such as their metabolic and bone health during perimenopause; and (2) follow the third generation of participants (children of the children) to study intergenerational effects of in utero exposures.Trial registration numberNCT00558623.
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Details
- Title
- Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project
- Creators
- Wei Perng - University of Colorado DenverMarcela Tamayo-Ortiz - National Council of Science and Technology, National Institute of Public Health, Mexico City, Mexico.Lu Tang - University of MichiganBrisa N Sánchez - University of MichiganAlejandra Cantoral - National Council of Science and Technology, National Institute of Public Health, Mexico City, Mexico.John D Meeker - University of MichiganDana C Dolinoy - University of MichiganElizabeth F Roberts - University of MichiganEsperanza Angeles Martinez-Mier - Indiana University – Purdue University IndianapolisHector Lamadrid-Figueroa - National Institute of Public HealthPeter X K Song - University of MichiganAdrienne S Ettinger - University of MichiganRobert Wright - Mount Sinai HospitalManish Arora - Mount Sinai HospitalLourdes Schnaas - Instituto Nacional de PerinatologíaDeborah J Watkins - University of MichiganJaclyn M Goodrich - University of MichiganRobin C Garcia - University of MichiganMaritsa Solano-Gonzalez - National Institute of Public HealthLuis F Bautista-Arredondo - National Institute of Public HealthAdriana Mercado-Garcia - National Institute of Public HealthHoward Hu - University of WashingtonMauricio Hernandez-Avila - Mexican Social Security InstituteMartha Maria Tellez-Rojo - Center for Nutrition and Health ResearchKaren E Peterson - University of Michigan
- Publication Details
- BMJ open, v 9(8), pp e030427-e030427
- Publisher
- British Medical Journal (BMJ)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000502537200338
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85071651450
- Other Identifier
- 991020099178604721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health