Stay healthy during pregnancy to keep lead levels low

New research from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol shows that mothers who drank alcohol and coffee, smoked and had a coal fire in their home during pregnancy were likely to have higher levels of lead in their blood than women who didn't. Dietary calcium and iron seemed to have a protective effect. Lead is a toxin that can cause high blood pressure in pregnancy, which in turn can predispose women to pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and heart disease later in life. Lead accumulates in the bones and can remain there for up to 30 years. Exposure to high levels of lead while in the womb, when it is transferred from the mother, can affect the unborn baby's developing nervous system. It can also have a longer-term detrimental effect on the child's health, academic performance and behaviour. Lead is widespread in the environment, particularly in areas with smelters, lead works, and battery manufacturing and recycling.