Occurrence of lead in placenta--important information for prenatal and postnatal development of child.

This work points out consequences of lead on prenatal and postnatal development of child that have not been elaborated in such extent before. Our new method for proof of lead in placenta enabled us to show how lead is from mother's blood erythrocytes in the intervillous space released and received by the villous syncytiotrophoblast. This finding enriches relation between mother's erythrocytes, lead, calcium that is a lead carrier, and syncytiotrophoblast. Our finding of abundant thin terminal villi, that in some places form bunches observed in scanning electron microscope, points out deficiency of O2 and CO2 transport in placenta. This phenomenon is indirect evidence that periphery "starves" for oxygen that participates in maintaining conditions for intact development of child. Behaviour of fibrin deposit layer before the childbirth is also discussed. Attention is paid to possible rise of hyperkinetic syndrome of children as a consequence of mother's dwelling in environment polluted with lead. Presence of lead is verified by infrared spectroscopy.