Serum Lead Levels During Pregnancy- A Cross Sectional Study (A Descriptive Observational Study) In Belgaum, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Background and objective Serum lead levels increase during pregnancy and may affect health of pregnant women and fetus. This study was aimed to know the serum lead levels during early, mid and late pregnancies as well as its association with maternal outcomes like anemia and hypertension in pregnant women. Methodology The present cross sectional study (descriptive observational study) of two year duration was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, attached teaching hospital, KLE University’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum. A total of 32 pregnant women were studied for serum lead levels and haemoglobin levels. Results The average age of the study population was 22.00 ± 3.10 years. The gestational age in 13 (56.25%) women was 13 weeks and 23 (71.88%) women reported gravida 1. During the early pregnancy, all the 32 women (100%) had serum lead levels less than 10. During mid and late pregnancy, 3 (9.37%) and 11 (34.37%) women had serum lead levels of > 10 The mean serum lead levels showed an increasing trend from early pregnancy (2.87 ± 1.61) to late pregnancy (8.59 ± 8.33). At early pregnancy, 19 (59.38%) women were anaemic while in mid and late pregnancy anaemia was present in 24 (75%) and 30 (93.75%) women respectively. The mean haemoglobin levels reduced as the pregnancy progressed. The correlation of anaemia and mean serum lead levels in mid and late pregnancy showed significant rise in mean serum lead levels with severity of anaemia (p<0.050). Conclusion and interpretation The serum lead levels in pregnant women increase with duration of gestation and are associated with anaemia.