Prenatal Metal Exposure Linked to Altered Genital Development in Children
A prospective cohort study involving 248 mother-infant pairs has investigated the impact of prenatal exposure to ten common metals on anogenital distance (AGD) in two-year-old children. The study, which analyzed maternal plasma samples from the first trimester, found distinct sex-specific associations. In male infants, exposure to cadmium (Cd), thallium (Tl), and arsenic (As) was significantly linked to a reduction in anopenile distance (AGD-AP), a measure of male genital development. Cadmium showed the strongest effect, with a nearly 7% decrease in AGD-AP per interquartile range increase in concentration. Lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) also showed associations with reduced AGD-AP, though these were less robust after statistical correction. Conversely, in female infants, nickel (Ni) showed a suggestive positive association with anoclitoral distance (AGD-AC), indicating a potential increase in this measure. The study utilized advanced computational methods, including XGBoost, BART, and BKMR, to complement trad...