**7. Developmental toxicity**

Inorganic arsenic affect the nervous system causing behavioral changes and peripheral neuropathies [53], as chronic exposure of arsenic during pregnancy may affect fetal brain development as a result mutilation of behavioral skills, including cognitive abilities and social competency. It is further conformed that exposure of chronic arsenic increase the risk of spontaneous abortions and stillbirths [54]. Significant association of arsenic exposure was found during pregnancy causing spontaneous abortions and stillbirth [3, 55]. It was reported that the elevated the risk of still birth and neonatal mortality amongst 200 married women in Bengal [55, 56]. All pregnant women were provided proper care in arsenic exposed area, showed significant association between arsenic concentration and birth defects. In the recent study spontaneous abortions and still births were observed between exposed and unexposed women, which included 240, women living in arsenic exposed area in West Bengal of India with high concentrated arsenic drinking water [55, 57] as well as [58] documented the most common arsenic exposed regions in West Bengal, and miscarriage was observed due to arsenic contaminated water. However spontaneous abortions and still births were observed in almost all the arsenic exposed areas throughout the world [55]. Furthermore, a hospital based study was conducted in Texas community with low level of arsenic exposure through inhalation primarily arsenic based agricultural products reported spontaneous abortions and stillbirths [59].
