EFFECTS OF MATERNAL CIGARETTE-SMOKING AND ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION ON BLOOD LEAD LEVELS OF NEWBORNS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cigarette smok ing (active and passive exposure) and alcohol consumption during pregn ancy on cord blood lead levels. In 1990, a survey was conducted in two hospitals in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, a white-collar agglomeratio n. The sample included 430 mothers and their newborns. Information on the lifestyles of mothers during pregnancy was obtained by questionnai re. Cord blood lead concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A dose-response relation was found between cigarett e smoking and alcohol consumption of mothers and cord blood lead level s. An average increase of about 15 percent (0.013 mu mol/liter) in cor d blood lead levels was estimated for every 10 cigarettes smoked per d ay. Mean blood lead levels in babies whose mothers did not smoke durin g pregnancy but who drank alcohol moderately was 17 percent higher tha n those of nonsmoking mothers who abstained from alcohol intake. Multi variate analyses revealed that both cigarette smoking and alcohol inta ke make significant and independent contributions to cord blood lead c oncentrations. Lifestyles of pregnant women thus appear to play an imp ortant role in the prenatal lead exposure of newborns. Because of the potential effects of lead exposure on pregnancy outcomes, our study pr ovides further arguments to support public health advisories concernin g the harmful effect of smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy.