According to a new study published in JAMA Network Open, exposure to arsenic and other metals in utero is tied to an increased risk for atopic dermatitis in children.

The multicenter cohort study revealed that every twofold increase in prenatal arsenic level was associated with a 2.4-fold increased rate of atopic dermatitis in children aged 4 years. A total of 370 mother and child pairs were included in this study, who were enrolled in a birth cohort study from October 2012 to May 2015. Exposures in utero to eight metals, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, cobalt, copper, nickel, thallium, and zinc, were evaluated. Each unit rise of an index that estimates the combined exposure to these metals during pregnancy was tied to 63% higher likelihood of atopic dermatitis in the children by 4 years of age. Arsenic and cadmium accounted for most of the metal co-exposure index… (Medscape)