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Arsenic May Play an Environmental Risk Factor to Give Birth a Down Syndrome Child

Podder Gargi, Chakraborty Amit Kr. and De Madhusnata

There are many different causes of mental retardation, both biological and environmental. Down syndrome occurs in one out of every 600-700 births worldwide. Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that has been associated with increased incidence of different genetic anomalies in certain highly exposed populations. This present work aimed to study whether arsenic plays any role in the increased incidence of Down syndrome among residents of West Bengal, India, which is one of the worst arsenic-affected areas of the world. Our study group included thirty Down syndrome patients and their father and mother. We studied the arsenic concentration in the hair samples of our study group. We found in some area like Kolkata and Nadia higher arsenic concentration in the biological tissues of patients, which may correlate with their greater incidence of chromosomal aberrations. Thus, arsenic may act as a predisposing factor for giving birth of Down syndrome baby.