RESUMO
Lead toxicity causes hematological, gastrointestinal and neurological dysfunction in children and adults. This work aimed to determine whole blood lead level in full- and pre-term mothers and their neonates, to find the relation between maternal and neonatal blood lead level and to correlate it with some biochemical and hematological parameters. One hundred delivering women and their neonates were subjected to this study, fifty women were full-term and fifty were pre-term. In addition to whole blood lead level and complete blood picture which provides measurement of RBCs, Hb, Ht and MCV, determination of serum iron, total iron binding capacity [TIBC], ferritin and calcium was done for the mothers and their neonates. The blood lead level was> or= 200 micro g/L in 59% of mothers and 47% of neonates. The level was significantly higher in full-term mothers [273.5 +/- 112 micro g/L] and their neonates [215.5 +/- 90.2 micro g/L] than in pre-term ones [218 +/- 109.2 and 191.4 +/- 96.6 micro g/L]. There was non-significant differences between full- and pre-term mothers or their neonates regarding serum iron, TIBC, calcium, Hb, Ht and MCV [p > 0.05]. A significant statistical difference in serum iron, TIBC, Ferritin, Hb, Ht and MCV was found between mothers and their neonates in full- and pre-term groups [p < 0.05] whereas no significant differences were found as regards serum calcium and RBCs. There was significant correlation between blood lead level and each of serum iron, RBCs, Hb and MCV whereas no significant correlation was found between blood lead level and each of serum TIBC, ferritin, calcium and Ht in full-term mothers and their neonates. There was significant correlation between blood lead level and each of serum iron, TIBC, RBCs, Hb and MCV and non-significant correlation with serum ferritin, calcium and Ht in pre-term neonateSoThe blood lead level was higher in frequent Kohl users [338 micro g/L] than in infrequent users [209 micro g/L] and non-users [142 micro g/L]. The blood lead level was statistically higher in mothers having smoking husbands and their neonates [259 and 210 micro g/L respectively] than in those with non- smoking husbands [181 and 154 micro g/L respectively]. In conclusion, this study found high blood lead levels in delivering women and their neonates suggesting that lead exposure would be a major health problem which deserves special attention if possible future healthy pregnancy outcomes are to be considered