Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics (CCEB), School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle, Kookaburra Close, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia.
Department of Chemistry, Wagner College, 1 Campus Road, Staten Island, NY 10301, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Jan 2;15(1):57. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15010057.
Data is scarce on early life exposure to arsenic and its association with malnutrition during infancy. This study followed the nutritional status of a cohort of 120 infants from birth to 9 months of age in an arsenic contaminated area in Bangladesh. Anthropometric data was collected at 3, 6 and 9 months of the infant's age for nutritional assessment whereas arsenic exposure level was assessed via tube well drinking water arsenic concentration at the initiation of the study. Weight and height measurements were converted to -scores of weight for age (WAZ-underweight), height for age (HAZ-stunting), weight for height (WHZ-wasting) for children by comparing with WHO growth standard. Arsenic exposure levels were categorized as <50 μg/L and ≥50 μg/L. Stunting rates (<-2 SD) were 10% at 3 months and 44% at both 6 and 9 months. Wasting rates (<-2 SD) were 23.3% at 3 months and underweight rates (<-2 SD) were 25% and 10% at 3 and 6 months of age, respectively. There was a significant association of stunting with household drinking water arsenic exposure ≥50 μg/L at age of 9 months ( = 0.009). Except for stunting at 9 months of age, we did not find any significant changes in other nutritional indices over time or with levels of household arsenic exposure in this study. Our study suggests no association between household arsenic exposure and under-nutrition during infancy; with limiting factors being small sample size and short follow-up. Difference in stunting at 9 months by arsenic exposure at ≥50 μg/L might be a statistical incongruity. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to establish any association.
关于婴儿早期接触砷及其与婴儿期营养不良之间的关系，相关数据十分有限。本研究跟踪了孟加拉国一个砷污染地区的 120 名婴儿从出生到 9 个月的营养状况。在研究开始时，通过测量婴儿饮用的井水砷浓度来评估砷暴露水平，同时在婴儿 3、6 和 9 个月时收集人体测量数据以进行营养评估。将体重和身高测量值与 WHO 生长标准进行比较，转换为体重与年龄的 Z 分数（体重不足的 Z 分数，WAZ）、身高与年龄的 Z 分数（发育迟缓的 Z 分数，HAZ）和身高与体重的 Z 分数（消瘦的 Z 分数，WHZ）。将砷暴露水平分为<50μg/L 和≥50μg/L。3 个月时发育迟缓率（<-2SD）为 10%，6 个月和 9 个月时均为 44%。3 个月时消瘦率（<-2SD）为 23.3%，3 个月和 6 个月时体重不足率（<-2SD）分别为 25%和 10%。9 个月时，家中饮用水砷暴露水平≥50μg/L 与发育迟缓显著相关（ = 0.009）。除了 9 个月时的发育迟缓外，我们在这项研究中没有发现其他营养指标随时间或家庭砷暴露水平的变化而发生任何显著变化。我们的研究表明，家庭砷暴露与婴儿期营养不足之间没有关联；限制因素是样本量小和随访时间短。9 个月时的发育迟缓率因≥50μg/L 的砷暴露而存在差异，这可能是一个统计学上的不一致。需要进一步的纵向研究来确定任何关联。
