Exposure to Metal Mixtures and Childhood Adiposity: An Examination of Periods of Heightened Susceptibility Between Gestation and Late Childhood
Authors' conclusion
Third trimester is a period of heightened susceptibility to obesogenic effects of arsenic exposure in females.
Study context
- Population
- Child-parent pairs, Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Research Platform
- Participants
- 234 child-parent pairs
- Exposure
- Whole blood metal concentrations and late-childhood adiposity
- Outcome
- Late childhood BMI z-score (zBMI), body fat percentage (%BF) and waist circumference z-score (zWC)
- Follow-up
- Late childhood
Methodological detailsmetal mixture measured at four time points, treed distributed lag mixture models, sex-specific analysis
- Metal mixture measured at four time points
- Treed distributed lag mixture models
- Sex-specific analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Third trimester arsenic and adiposity, females
Increase in zBMI per doubling of 3rd trimester arsenic, females (linear regression)
0.16
95% CI 0.02, 0.31
Increase in zWC per doubling of 3rd trimester arsenic, females (linear regression)
0.13
95% CI 0.01, 0.25
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Negative associations between third trimester cadmium and zWC
- Null associations between other metals and adiposity and among males
- No metal interactions
Original publication
Exposure to Metal Mixtures and Childhood Adiposity: An Examination of Periods of Heightened Susceptibility Between Gestation and Late Childhood. Pediatr Obes. Published 14 September 2025. doi:10.
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