RESUMO
Globally, adverse birth outcomes are increasingly linked to prenatal exposure to environmental contaminants, such as mercury, manganese, and lead. This study aims to assess an association between prenatal exposure to mercury, manganese, and lead and the occurrence of adverse birth outcomes in 380 pregnant women in Suriname. The numbers of stillbirths, preterm births, low birth weights, and low Apgar scores were determined, as well as blood levels of mercury, manganese, lead, and relevant covariates. Descriptive statistics were calculated using frequency distributions. The associations between mercury, manganese, and lead blood levels, on the one hand, and adverse birth outcomes, on the other hand, were explored using contingency tables, tested with the χ2-test (Fisher's exact test), and expressed with a p value. Multivariate logistic regression models were computed to explore independent associations and expressed as (adjusted) odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The findings of this study indicate no statistically significant relationship between blood mercury, manganese, or lead levels and stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, and low Apgar score. However, the covariate diabetes mellitus (aOR 5.58, 95% CI (1.38-22.53)) was independently associated with preterm birth and the covariate hypertension (aOR 2.72, 95% CI (1.081-6.86)) with low birth weight. Nevertheless, the observed high proportions of pregnant women with blood levels of mercury, manganese, and lead above the reference levels values of public health concern warrants environmental health research on risk factors for adverse birth outcomes to develop public health policy interventions to protect pregnant Surinamese women and their newborns from potential long-term effects.
RESUMO
INTRODUCCIÓN: El período más crucial de la vida humana corresponde a las primeras 24 h que siguen al nacimiento. En este período, la morbilidad y la mortalidad son elevadas, por lo que es necesario prevenir y conocer los factores de riesgo que puedan interferir en su normal desarrollo, evaluándose al nacer la puntuación de Apgar. OBJETIVOS: Identificar la posible asociación causal entre el índice de Apgar bajo y algunos factores epidemiológicos. Estimar a través del riesgo atribuible, aquellos factores que al actuar sobre ellos se lograría un mayor impacto en la población expuesta. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio analítico observacional tipo caso control, relacionado con algunos factores epidemiológicos que inciden en la ocurrencia de Apgar bajo al nacer, en el Hospital Materno Provincial Docente Mariana Grajales Coello de Santiago de Cuba, desde el 1ro de enero de 2006 hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2007 . RESULTADOS: La edad materna y la edad gestacional al parto, el meconio en el líquido amniótico, las anomalías del cordón umbilical, el parto distócico y la restricción del crecimiento intrauterino están relacionados con el índice de Apgar bajo al nacer en esta institución. CONCLUSIONES: La depresión al nacer se asoció causalmente con las anomalías del cordón umbilical y el líquido amniótico meconial, teniendo asociación significativa la desnutrición fetal intrauterina, la edad gestacional al parto < 37 sem y ³ 42 sem y la presentación fetal distócica. Se comprobó que al actuar en el diagnóstico temprano y de certeza de un CIUR se lograría un mejor y mayor impacto en la población expuesta
INTRODUCTION: The more crucial moment in human life is that corresponding with the first 24 hr post-partum. During this period, morbidity and mortality are high, this it is necessary to prevent and to know risk factors that may to interfere in its normal development, assessing at birth the Apgar score. OBJECTIVES: To identify the possible causal association between the low Apgar score and some epidemiological factors. To estimate according to the attributing risk factors that acting on them it will be a great impact in exposed population. METHODS: An observational and analytical type case-control study was conducted related to some epidemiological factors having an impact on a low Apgar score at birth in the Mariana Grajales Mother Teaching Provincial Hospital of Santiago de Cuba from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007. RESULTS: Age mother and gestational age at labor, presence of meconium in amniotic fluid, umbilical cord abnormalities, dystocic labor and the intrauterine growth retard are related to a low Apgar score at birth in this institution. CONCLUSIONS: Depression at birth was associated in a causal way with umbilical cord abnormalities and the presence of meconium in amniotic fluid and a significant association with intrauterine fetal malnutrition, the gestational age at labor < 37 of weeks and ³ 42 weeks and dystocic fetal presentation. It was demonstrated that the retarded intrauterine growth (RIUG) acting in the early and certainty diagnosis it will be possible to achieve a better and major impact in exposed population