Original scientific paper
IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICS AND OF METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON REPRODUCTIVE LOSS AND STILLBIRTH
Lucijan Mohorović
; Obstetric & Gynecologic Primary Health Care, Labin, Hrvatska
Abstract
Background. The aim of this review is to point out the excessive maternal exposure to environmental oxidants. We have reviewed the correlation between environmental toxics and local meteorological conditions as a contribution to the explanation of pregnancy loss and unexplained stillbirth. Methods. The pregnant women living near coal-powered thermoelectric power plant Plomin 1, in Labin, Croatia were investigated. The data were processed by using the Chi-Square analysis and linear correlation tests. Results. The frequency of reproductive loss was significantly different (p=0.0369) between the »control« (N=4) and »exposure« periods (N= 10) as well as the frequency of stilbirth caused by increased amount of methemoglobin (>1,5 g/L) in the exposure period. (p=0.0336). It was also observed that stillbirth significantly occurred only in the second half of pregnancy. Conclusions. Continuous methemoglobin monitoring in cases of stillbirth can indirectly explain the causes of fetal death when the level of fetal methemoglobin is increased. Meteorological conditions may support the explanation for the acute failure of fetal vital organs (first time expressed as »fetal preeclampsia«) and stillbirth. This assumption requires further investigations which may confirm the relation ¬between fetal methemoglobin and reproductive loss and death, frequently referred to as unexplained.
Keywords
oxidative stress; methemoglobinemia; meteorological conditions; fossil fuels; stillbirth; fetal preeclampsia
Hrčak ID:
62188
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2008.
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