Prenatal Exposure to Nitrate in Drinking Water and Adverse Health Outcomes in the Offspring: a Review of Current Epidemiological Research

TY - JOUR

T1 - Prenatal Exposure to Nitrate in Drinking Water and Adverse Health Outcomes in the Offspring

T2 - a Review of Current Epidemiological Research

AU - Clemmensen, Pernille Jul

AU - Schullehner, Jörg

AU - Brix, Nis

AU - Sigsgaard, Torben

AU - Stayner, Leslie Thomas

AU - Kolstad, Henrik Albert

AU - Ramlau-Hansen, Cecilia Høst

PY - 2023/9

Y1 - 2023/9

N2 - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recently, several epidemiological studies have investigated whether prenatal exposure to nitrate from drinking water may be harmful to the fetus, even at nitrate levels below the current World Health Organization drinking water standard. The purpose of this review was to give an overview of the newest knowledge on potential health effects of prenatal exposure to nitrate.RECENT FINDINGS: We included 13 epidemiological studies conducted since 2017. Nine studies investigated outcomes appearing around birth, and four studies investigated health outcomes appearing in childhood and young adulthood. The reviewed studies showed some indications of higher risk of preterm delivery, lower birth weight, birth defects, and childhood cancer related to prenatal exposure to nitrate. However, the numbers of studies for each outcome were sparse, and some of the results were conflicting. We suggest that there is a need for additional studies and particularly for studies that include information on water consumption patterns, intake of nitrate from diet, and intake of nitrosatable drugs.

AB - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recently, several epidemiological studies have investigated whether prenatal exposure to nitrate from drinking water may be harmful to the fetus, even at nitrate levels below the current World Health Organization drinking water standard. The purpose of this review was to give an overview of the newest knowledge on potential health effects of prenatal exposure to nitrate.RECENT FINDINGS: We included 13 epidemiological studies conducted since 2017. Nine studies investigated outcomes appearing around birth, and four studies investigated health outcomes appearing in childhood and young adulthood. The reviewed studies showed some indications of higher risk of preterm delivery, lower birth weight, birth defects, and childhood cancer related to prenatal exposure to nitrate. However, the numbers of studies for each outcome were sparse, and some of the results were conflicting. We suggest that there is a need for additional studies and particularly for studies that include information on water consumption patterns, intake of nitrate from diet, and intake of nitrosatable drugs.

KW - Nitrate

KW - Drinking water

KW - Prenatal

KW - Pregnancy

KW - Nitrates/adverse effects

KW - Epidemiologic Studies

KW - Humans

KW - Drinking Water/adverse effects

KW - Young Adult

KW - Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/chemically induced

KW - Adult

KW - Female

KW - Outcome Assessment, Health Care

KW - Infant, Newborn

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85164935640&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s40572-023-00404-9

DO - 10.1007/s40572-023-00404-9

M3 - Review

C2 - 37453984

SN - 2196-5412

VL - 10

SP - 250

EP - 263

JO - Current Environmental Health Reports

JF - Current Environmental Health Reports

IS - 3

ER -