Association of maternal exposure to trace elements and toxic metals with repeated measurements of foetal and early-childhood growth: a systematic review

Trace elements play crucial roles in regulating biological functions and maintaining homeostasis, but toxic metals may exert detrimental effects on the human body even at low doses. Prenatal elements exposure was related to children’s anthropometric outcomes at single time points. However, most existing studies ignore the dynamic characteristics of child growth and the evolving trajectories of physical development. This review systematically examines the associations between prenatal trace elements and toxic metals exposure and childhood growth and development, with a particular focus on changes in longitudinal growth trajectories. A comprehensive search was conducted across four electronic databases, and 24 studies were included in the final analysis. Maternal exposure to elevated concentrations of trace elements such as vanadium, chromium and manganese has been linked to physical growth restriction in children. In contrast, prenatal exposure to other trace elements, including zinc, calcium and copper, appears to have positive effects on child growth and development. The effects of lithium exposure during pregnancy have not been fully determined. Moreover, children’s growth parameters and trajectories are generally negatively affected by exposure to toxic metals, such as lead, cadmium and mercury. This review provides evidence that prenatal element exposure plays an important role in offspring growth and development, and further research is needed to better elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these effects.