ASSOCIATION OF MATERNAL BLOOD LEAD LEVELS WITH NEWBORNS BIRTH WEIGHTS.

Background: Elevated blood lead levels during pregnancy are of particular concern because lead freely crosses the placenta from 12th week of gestation. The birth weight at delivery is a strong predictor of neonatal health outcomes. Aim: 1-to measure blood lead level in pregnant women and its association with newborn\'s birth weights. 2-to find some of the factors that may be associated with the elevation of the blood lead levels in the pregnant women. Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted from the 1st April to the 1st October 2015 in the delivery unit of Al-Hilla teaching hospital in Babylon-Iraq on 127 pregnant women attending the chosen hospital for delivery and their newborns.Blood samples were collected and transported with careful techniques to the toxicology center of the medical city in Baghdad where analyzed. Newborn\'s birth weights were measured by mechanical scale balance by trained midwife at the delivery unit. Modified questionnaire were used to collect selected data from participants. Result:Maternal blood lead levels mean±SD were 10.31±3.41µg/dl. Parity,maternal age and maternal blood lead levels were emerged as significant risk factors for low birth weights by logistic regression. Parity and smoking of household contact was emerged as significant risk factors for elevated maternal blood lead levels by logistic regression. Conclusion:The studied pregnant women had abnormal elevated blood lead level and there was weak negative significant association between maternal blood lead levels and newborn\'s birth weights. Primigravida and smokingwas emerged as significant risk factors for elevated lead level.