p-p'DDT in perinatal samples: report on maternal and neonatal measurements.

Organochlorine pesticides and their degradation products can affect humans in several ways and are detected in human tissue, including placental tissue and umbilical cord blood. We report the results of preliminary research conducted to determine the levels of p-p'DDT in maternal and umbilical cord blood during labor and to estimate the possible consequences of this product for calcium metabolism. The results confirm that p-p'DDT is transferred to the fetus through the placenta and indicate the existence of a complex fetal-maternal p-p'DDT distribution mechanism.