Background: Exposure to arsenic-contaminated drinking water during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight and fetal loss, and there is concern that the infants' development may be affected.
Objective: We assessed the effects of in utero arsenic exposure during pregnancy on infants' problem-solving ability and motor development.
Methods: We conducted a large population-based study of nutritional supplementation with 4,436 pregnant women in Matlab, Bangladesh, an area of high-arsenic-contaminated tube wells. We measured arsenic concentration in spot urine specimens at 8 and 30 weeks of pregnancy. We assessed a subsample of 1,799 infants, born to these mothers, at 7 months of age on two problem-solving tests (PSTs), the motor scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II, and behavior ratings.
Result: Arsenic concentrations in maternal urine were high, with a median (interquartile range) of 81 microg/L (37-207 microg/L) at 8 weeks of gestation and of 84 microg/L (42-230 microg/L) at 30 weeks. Arsenic exposure was related to many poor socioeconomic conditions that also correlated with child development measures. Multiple regressions of children's motor and PST scores and behavior ratings, controlling for socioeconomic background variables, age, and sex, showed no significant effect of urinary arsenic concentration on any developmental outcome.
Conclusion: We detected no significant effect of arsenic exposure during pregnancy on infant development. However, it is possible that other effects are as yet unmeasured or that effects will become apparent at a later age.
Keywords: Bangladesh cognitive function; infants; motor development; problem-solving tests; urinary arsenic.