Investigating causal relation between prenatal arsenic exposure and birthweight: Are smaller infants more susceptible?

Abstract Background Shortening of gestation and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are the two main determinants of birthweight. Low birthweight has been linked with prenatal arsenic exposure, but the causal relation between arsenic and birthweight is not well understood. Objectives We applied a quantile causal mediation analysis approach to determine the association between prenatal arsenic exposure and birthweight in relation to shortening of gestation and IUGR, and whether the susceptibility of arsenic exposure varies by infant birth sizes. Methods In a longitudinal birth cohort in Bangladesh, we measured arsenic in drinking water (n = 1182) collected at enrollment and maternal toenails (n = 1104) collected ≤ 1-month postpartum using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Gestational age was determined using ultrasound at ≤ 16 weeks' gestation. Demographic information was collected using a structured questionnaire. Results Of 1184 singleton livebirths, 16.4% (n = 194) were low birthweight ( β range: 10th percentile = − 19.7 g [95% CI: − 26.7, − 13.3] to 90th percentile = − 10.9 g [95% CI: − 18.5, − 5.9] per natural log water arsenic increase), whereas the effect via pathways independent of gestational age affected only the smaller infants ( β range: 10th percentile = − 28.0 g [95% CI: − 43.8, − 9.9] to 20th percentile = − 14.9 g [95% CI: − 30.3, − 1.7] per natural log water arsenic increase). Similar pattern was observed for maternal toenail arsenic. Conclusions The susceptibility of prenatal arsenic exposure varied by infant birth sizes, placing smaller infants at greater risk of lower birthweight by shortening of gestation and possibly growth restriction. It is important to mitigate prenatal arsenic exposure to improve perinatal outcomes in Bangladesh.