Effects of Hair Metals on Body Weight in Iranian Children Aged 20 to 36 Months

Although the level of exposure to many toxic metals decreased recently, the adverse effects of these metals on children’s growth and development remain a serious public health issue.
The present study was conducted in three teaching hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran) from Sep 2012 to Mar 2013. To study the relationship between metals and childhood growth, concentrations of zinc and several potentially toxic metals (lead, cadmium, antimony, cobalt, and molybdenum) were measured in scalp hair for 174 children, aged 20 to 36 months.
The hair concentrations of cobalt were significantly (P Gender may play a significant role in absorption and/or accumulation of metals. It should be considered when we study metal toxicity in children.