Bioavailability of orally administered cadmium and lead to the mother, fetus, and neonate during pregnancy and lactation: an overview.

An overview of pathways for bioavailability of cadmium and lead from diet to mother to fetus during pregnancy and to neonate during lactation is presented. Increased uptake and retention of cadmium by the mother during pregnancy and lactation occurs, with sequestration of cadmium in the maternal kidney, liver, placenta and mammary tissue; the fraction of maternal body burden transferred to the young is small. In contrast, a substantial portion of the lead absorbed from the diet by the mother during pregnancy and lactation is transferred to the fetus via the placenta and to the neonate via the milk.