ReviewFrontiers in public health2026
Maternal geophagy in Ghana: a mini review of toxicological, microbial, nutritional, and radiological exposure pathways.
Review in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Maternal geophagy remains a common cultural and behavioural practice among pregnant women in Ghana, representing a potential pathway for various concurrent exposures, including toxicological, microbial, nutritional, and radiological. This Mini Review synthesises evidence from a wide range of multidisciplinary literature, encompassing mineralogy, toxicology, parasitology, microbiology, nutrition, and radiological science, to provide a comprehensive assessment of maternal geophagy in the Ghanaian context. The reviewed literature consistently indicates that geophagic clays contain elevated concentrations of toxic metals, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and mercury, which often exceed international safety limits. Bioaccessibility studies further demonstrate that metal solubility increases under gastric conditions, suggesting that actual maternal exposure may be underestimated when only considering total concentrations. In addition to chemical hazards, microbial contamination and the presence of geohelminths in commercially sold clays pose infection risks, exacerbated by informal extraction, processing, and handling practices. Emerging evidence specific to Ghana also shows that commonly consumed clays contain naturally occurring radionuclides, such as potassium-40, uranium-238, and thorium-232, which contribute to measurable internal doses that warrant closer examination, especially with repeated ingestion during pregnancy. Overall, these findings highlight maternal geophagy as a multi-hazard exposure pathway involving toxicological, microbial, nutritional, and radiological risks. Significant knowledge gaps remain, including the lack of bioavailability-adjusted radiological dose modelling and limited longitudinal evidence linking geophagy to foetal outcomes. This review highlights the importance of developing integrated exposure assessment frameworks, enhancing regulatory oversight, and implementing targeted public health interventions to address the multifaceted risks associated with maternal geophagy in Ghana.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.