Manganese in Drinking Water and Infant Mortality in Bangladesh
Author Information
Author(s): Hafeman Danella, Factor-Litvak Pam, Cheng Zhongqi, van Geen Alexander, Ahsan Habibul
Primary Institution: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Hypothesis
Is there an association between manganese exposure through drinking water and infant mortality in Bangladesh?
Conclusion
The study suggests a possible link between manganese exposure in drinking water and increased infant mortality.
Supporting Evidence
- Infants exposed to manganese levels above the WHO standard had a higher risk of mortality.
- The odds ratio for mortality in infants exposed to high manganese was 1.8.
- Adjustment for other variables did not significantly change the association.
- Recent marriages showed a stronger association between manganese exposure and infant mortality.
Takeaway
Drinking water with too much manganese might make babies more likely to die before their first birthday.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from a cohort of mothers and infants, assessing water manganese levels and infant mortality rates.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on maternal recall for reproductive history and well use.
Limitations
The study relied on retrospective data collection, which may introduce misclassification of exposure and outcome.
Participant Demographics
Participants were mothers from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study cohort in Araihazar, Bangladesh.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 1.2–2.6
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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