PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Exposure to certain metals, such as nickel, arsenic and cobalt can cause problems for a pregnant woman and her fetus, including preterm birth and low birth weight. Now researchers at Rutgers University know one way this occurs.
Dr. Zorimar Rivera-Nunez, an assistant research professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, says by analyzing blood and urine samples, their team was able to determine that the metals disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates the body’s hormones.
"Clinicians should know about this, how environmental exposures have an effect on pregnancy, so they can provide that information to their patients when they are there," Rivera-Nunez said.
The research was conducted in Puerto Rico, because of the large number of contaminated superfund sites, but the information is important to anyone exposed to environmental pollution and contaminants.