LEAD, MERCURY AND CADMIUM IN MOTHERS AND THEIR NEWBORN BABIES

The objective of the present study was to determine the toxic trace el ement status of 51 healthy Austrian women and their newborn babies. Le ad, mercury and cadmium content of early breast milk, blood and urine were measured post partum by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. None of the toxic trace elements could be found in elevated concentrations ; the content of mercury and cadmium in milk was below limits of detec tion. Mean lead concentration in breast milk was 35.8 (SD:15.0) mug/l. Whole blood content of lead was 37.0 (SD:12.7) mug/l in mothers and 2 6.3 (SD:11.6) in newborns. High blood concentrations of mercury were f ound both in mothers (4.46 mug/l, SD:1.95) and in umbilical cord blood (5.58 mug/l, SD:2.33). The corresponding values for cadmium were 0.44 (SD:0.4) mug/l and 0.08 (SD:0.16) mug/l. Urine excretion of the eleme nts assayed was normal. Significant correlations between maternal and neonatal blood toxic mineral levels could be demonstrated in lead (p<0 .001).