Data from: A cross sectional study of the relationship between the exposure of pregnant women to military attacks in 2014 in Gaza and the load of heavy metal contaminants in the hair of mothers and newborns

OBJECTIVE: Metal contamination of humans in wars areas was rarely
investigated. Weaponry’s heavy-metals become environmentally stable
war-remnants and accumulate in livings. They pose health risks also by
prenatal intake and potential long-term risks for reproductive and
children’s health. We studied the contribution by military attacks to the
load of 23 metals in the hair of Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip,
pregnant at the time of military attacks in 2014, and their newborns. We
compared the metal load in the mothers with values of adult hair from
outside war area (RHS), as reference. We investigated heavy metals
trans-passing in utero and assessed if risky heavy metals intake could
come from not war-related sources. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Random cohort of 502 mothers delivering in the
Gaza Strip and their newborns. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURED: Measure of the load
of heavy-metals in mother and newborn hair by Inductively Coupled Plasma
Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS). Comparison of metal load with RHS, between
groups with different exposures to attacks and house/agriculture
chemicals, and between mothers and newborns. Data for birth registry and
for exposures to war and other known risk factors were obtained at
interviews with mothers. Photo documentation of damage from military
attacks. RESULTS: The whole cohort had significantly higher load of heavy
metals than RHS. Women exposed to military attacks had significantly
higher load of heavy metals than those not exposed; the load in newborns
correlated positively with mothers’; no significant difference was found
between users/not users of house/agriculture chemicals; no other known
confounder was identified. CONCLUSIONS: High heavy-metals loads in
mothers, reflected in those of their newborns, are associated with
exposure to military attacks posing risk of immediate and long-term
negative outcomes for pregnancy and child health. Surveillance,
biomonitoring and further research are recommended. Implications for
general and public health are discussed.