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FRIHUMSAM-Fri prosj.st. hum og sam

The Kola Birth Registry as a tool for populationbased studies of contaminants and influence on reproductive health and pregnancy outcome

Awarded: NOK 4.2 mill.

A regional birth registry, compatible to the Norwegian birth registry, was initiated for Murmansk County in January 2006. The registry covers all 18 delivery departments in Murmansk County. The establishment of the birth registry has the potential of impr oving perinatal health and health care services for pregnant women and the identification of risk factors for the impairment of reproductive health. Based on this, the registry has the potential to generate population based scientific projects in the fiel d of contaminants and their impact on reproductive health and pregnancy outcome. The Kola Peninsula has point sources of pollution; nickel industry, aluminum production, iron and steel production, marine activities, military activities (now starting to op en for health related research), arctic agriculture with use of pesticides. The populations are concentrated around the exposure sources, creating standardized conditions for the inhabitants. Through the birth registry we have the opportunity to register living conditions, dietary habits, medical information, pregnancy outcome, and follow up of children through the medical policlinics. Maternal blood samples, cord blood samples, urine samples, and later breast milk will be sampled from all mother/child pa irs in the registry. Selected samples will been screened for the relevant contaminants in a pilot study. Examples of relevant elements are; the PCB group (chlorinated compounds), the DDT group, the HCH group, HCB, toxaphenes, dioxins (pooled samples), PFO S (fluorinated compounds), BFR (brominated compounds), other emerging new compounds, mercury, lead, cadmium, selenium, copper, aluminum, nickel, manganese. The registry provides opportunity to follow up the results from the pilot in a comprehensive popula tion study. The database will be statistically assessed, and the results will be basis for scientific reports, as well as feedback to the medical authorities for population based intervention and advises.

Funding scheme:

FRIHUMSAM-Fri prosj.st. hum og sam