Investigating the Dual Role of Trace and Toxic Elements in Pregnancy-Related Health Outcomes

Maternal health during pregnancy can be influenced by exposure to essential trace and toxic elements, notably cadmium, lead, chromium, and arsenic. Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, this study determined blood concentrations of toxic elements together with zinc, copper, and iron, which are nutritionally essential, in 200 pregnant women who attended the antenatal care at Thasala Hospital, Nakhon Si Thammarat, between January and July 2023. Associations of maternal clinical outcomes with the measured blood elemental composition were evaluated by Spearman’s rank correlation analysis. Iron showed the highest concentration among trace elements (75,178 ± 12,045 µg/dL), followed by zinc (1189.20 ± 211.38 µg/dL) and copper (294.72 ± 67.19 µg/dL). Among the toxic elements, lead had the highest concentration (5.59 ± 1.61 µg/dL), followed by chromium (2.80 ± 1.47 µg/dL), with arsenic and cadmium having the lowest concentrations. Synergistic associations were observed among lead, zinc, and iron. Blood lead concentration correlated inversely with hematocrit, while blood arsenic and blood cadmium both showed inverse association with urine glucose. Plasma glucose concentration varied directly with zinc and iron. These findings indicate effects and interactions of essential versus toxic elements on the health of pregnant women. They underscore the need to continue research into the strategies to minimize the impact of toxic elements and to further improve the nutritional status of zinc and iron during pregnancy.