ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine the relationship between maternal blood lead level and the antioxidant vitamins in a step to understand the mechanism of lead action and its possible influence on blood pressure and fetal growth. Ninety-six women were included in this study, 23 normal pregnant women [group I] as controls, 31 patients with fetal growth retardation [FGR] [group II] and 42 patients with pregnancy induced hypertension [PIH] [group III]. The results revealed that the maternal blood lead level was significantly higher in FGR and PIH groups compared with normal control. In contrast, the levels of vitamins E and C were significantly lower in both FGR and PIH groups. In addition, there was significant negative correlation between maternal blood level and the antioxidant vitamins in both FGR and PIH groups. It was concluded that high blood lead levels in pregnancy are associated with low vitamins E and C concentrations