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Svensson K, Tanner E, Gennings C, Lindh C, Kiviranta H, Wikström S, Bornehag CG. Prenatal exposures to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals and children's weight trajectory up to age 5.5 in the SELMA study. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11036. [PMID: 34040006 PMCID: PMC8155069 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89846-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may impact early growth, although information is limited on exposure to combination of multiple EDCs. We aimed to evaluate the effect of prenatal exposure to EDC mixtures on birthweight z-scores and childhood weight trajectories. Twenty-six proven and suspected EDCs, were analyzed in prenatal urine and blood samples from 1118 mothers participating in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal Mother and child Asthma and allergy (SELMA) study. Two growth parameters were estimated from each child's weight trajectory from birth to 5.5 years of age: infant growth spurt rate and age at infant peak growth velocity (PGV). Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to estimate the mixture effect and identify chemicals of concern. A one-unit increase in the EDC mixture WQS index, was associated with decreased birthweight z-scores of 0.11 (95% CI - 0.16, - 0.06), slower infant growth spurt rate of 0.01 (95% CI - 0.03, - 0.01, on the log10 scale), and delayed age at infant PGV of 0.15 months (95% CI 0.07, 0.24) after adjusting for potential confounders. Stratified analysis by sex, showed that delayed age at infant PGV was mostly observed in girls with 0.51 months (95% CI 0.26, 0.76). Identified chemicals of concern included perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), Triclosan, phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides and PCBs. Prenatal exposure to EDC mixtures was associated with lower birthweight and altered infant weight gain trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Svensson
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Universitetsgatan 2, 651 88, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Eva Tanner
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hannu Kiviranta
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sverre Wikström
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Universitetsgatan 2, 651 88, Karlstad, Sweden.
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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Tahir E, Cordier S, Courtemanche Y, Forget-Dubois N, Desrochers-Couture M, Bélanger RE, Ayotte P, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW, Muckle G. Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls exposure on physical growth from birth to childhood and adolescence: A prospective cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 189:109924. [PMID: 32798778 PMCID: PMC7529953 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Given that their traditional lifestyle and diet still relies on fish and other marine species for sustenance, the Inuit are highly exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and PCBs are increasingly linked to obesity. However, evidence is not consistent regarding which periods of exposure are most relevant. In this study, we examine whether in utero, childhood, and adolescent exposure to PCBs are related to physical growth at adolescence. METHOD Inuit adolescents from Canada (N=212) enrolled in a prospective longitudinal cohort study since birth were assessed for height, weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and fat free mass index (FFMI) at 18 years of age. PCB 153 concentrations were quantified in blood samples obtained at birth (umbilical cord), 11, and 18 years of age. Maternal anthropometrics were measured and those for the newborns collected from medical records. Data on biological mothers and participants' sociodemographic characteristics and food security were collected using interviews. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to test associations between PCB 153 concentrations and adolescent anthropometric measures. RESULTS Cord PCB 153 was not related to height or FFMI at adolescence. By contrast, analyses showed that cord PCB 153 was related to higher BMI, FMI and marginally to weight in girls but not boys. Child PCB 153 was not related to height, weight or FFMI in adolescence. Child PCB 153 was related to lower BMI and FMI at adolescence in both sexes, particularly among those considered overweight or obese during childhood. Adolescent PCB 153 was not associated with any outcome. CONCLUSION This study suggests that prenatal exposure to PCBs may have a long-term effect on growth in early adulthood among girls and identifies the peri-pubertal period as another window of sensitivity for the action of PCBs. Our findings also suggest that exposure to PCBs and body size be documented in multiple time periods from infancy to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emad Tahir
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvaine Cordier
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S1085, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Yohann Courtemanche
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Nadine Forget-Dubois
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Richard E Bélanger
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; Centre de Toxicologie du Québec, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.
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Burns JS, Williams PL, Sergeyev O, Korrick SA, Rudnev S, Plaku-Alakbarova B, Revich B, Hauser R, Lee MM. Associations of peri-pubertal serum dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls with growth and body composition among Russian boys in a longitudinal cohort. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2019; 223:228-237. [PMID: 31466867 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood exposure to organochlorines has been associated with alterations in somatic growth. We evaluated the associations of peri-pubertal serum levels of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) and nondioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs), with adolescent growth, body composition, and near adult height (NAH) in a longitudinal cohort study of Russian boys. METHODS 473 8-9 year-old boys had serum DLCs and associated toxic equivalents (TEQs) and NDL-PCBs concentrations measured. Physical examinations were performed at enrollment between 2003 and 2005, and annually over 11 years to 2016; annual bio-electric impedance analysis (BIA) of body composition began in 2006. We used mixed effects models to evaluate associations of quartiles of serum chemical concentrations with longitudinal measurements through age 19 of body mass index (BMI-Z) and height (HT-Z) z-scores, annual height velocity (HV), and BIA-derived height-adjusted fat (FMi) and fat-free mass (FFMi) indexes. Potential modification by age of the associations of chemical exposures with growth was evaluated. NAH (defined as HV < 1 cm/year) and age at NAH attainment were estimated using parametric survival models accounting for right censoring. RESULTS The medians of serum ∑TEQs, ∑DLCs, and ∑NDL-PCBs were 21.1 pg TEQ/g lipid, 362 pg/g lipid, and 250 ng/g lipid, respectively. In multivariable models, higher serum concentrations of peri-pubertal ∑TEQs, ∑DLCs, and ∑NDL-PCBs were associated with significantly lower BMI-Z, FMi, and FFMi over 11 years of follow-up. The differences in FFMi for boys with higher versus lower ΣTEQs and ΣNDL-PCBs increased with age. In multivariable models, higher ∑NDL-PCBs were associated with lower HT-Z, with attenuation of the association with age (interaction p < 0.001). The highest versus the lowest quartiles of ∑NDL-PCBs were not associated with differences in NAH, but were associated with an average of 6 months later attainment of NAH. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that dioxin and NDL-PCB exposures during childhood are associated with alterations in body composition and subsequent somatic growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Paige L Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Group of Epigenetic Epidemiology, A.N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Leninskye Gory, House 1, Building 40, Room 322, 119234, Moscow, Russia; Chapaevsk Medical Association, Meditsinskaya Str., 3a, Chapaevsk, Samara Region, 446100, Russia
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sergey Rudnev
- Marchuk Institute of Numerical Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Gubkin Str., 8, 119333, Moscow, Russia
| | - Bora Plaku-Alakbarova
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Boris Revich
- Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, 47 Nakhimovsky Prosp., Moscow, 117418, Russia
| | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mary M Lee
- Nemours AI DuPont Hospital for Children/Sidney Kimmel Medical School, Jefferson University, 1600 Rockland Road, Suite 2C, Wilmington, DE, 19803, USA
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A Systematic Review of the Effects of Environmental Pollutants, Chemical Factors, and Climate Changes on Children’s Height. HEALTH SCOPE 2018. [DOI: 10.5812/jhealthscope.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Developmental Exposure to Environmental Chemicals and Metabolic Changes in Children. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 2016; 46:255-85. [PMID: 27401018 DOI: 10.1016/j.cppeds.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other forms of metabolic disease have been rising over the past several decades. Although diet and physical activity play important roles in these trends, other environmental factors also may contribute to this significant public health issue. In this article, we discuss the possibility that widespread exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to the development of metabolic diseases in children. We summarize the epidemiological evidence on exposure to environmental chemicals during early development and metabolic outcomes in infants and children. Prenatal exposure to EDCs, particularly the persistent organic pollutant DDT and its metabolite DDE, may influence growth patterns during infancy and childhood. The altered growth patterns associated with EDCs vary according to exposure level, sex, exposure timing, pubertal status, and age at which growth is measured. Early exposure to air pollutants also is linked to impaired metabolism in infants and children. As a result of these and other studies, professional health provider societies have called for a reduction in environmental chemical exposures. We summarize the resources available to health care providers to counsel patients on how to reduce chemical exposures. We conclude with a discussion of environmental policies that address chemical exposures and ultimately aim to improve public health.
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de Cock M, van de Bor M. Obesogenic effects of endocrine disruptors, what do we know from animal and human studies? ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2014; 70:15-24. [PMID: 24879368 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hormonal actions and activation of receptors involved in adipogenesis and brain development during the prenatal period may be affected by exposure to certain chemicals. Experimental studies have shown that amongst others polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-153 and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) may have obesogenic effects in prenatally exposed mice. OBJECTIVE To provide an overview of five classes of chemicals which have frequently been indicated as potential obesogens, and to discuss the evidence available regarding early life exposure to these compounds and overweight later in life. METHODS Pubmed was systematically searched for publications which related early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to growth parameters later in life. We included 19 studies, which were published from 1995 and onwards. RESULTS Both positive and negative associations are observed between early life exposure and weight or height at various ages, including as early as 14 months, as well as until 20 years of age. In none of the included studies negative associations between perinatal exposure to EDCs and body mass index (BMI) were found and in several studies a positive association was observed. Dose-response relations appear to be non-monotonic. CONCLUSION For certain EDCs, early life exposure may be associated with weight homeostasis later in life, however not necessarily in an obesogenic direction. More sensitive measures of adiposity as well as long-term follow-up are warranted for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijke de Cock
- VU University, Department of Health and Life Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Margot van de Bor
- VU University, Department of Health and Life Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Tang-Péronard JL, Heitmann BL, Andersen HR, Steuerwald U, Grandjean P, Weihe P, Jensen TK. Association between prenatal polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and obesity development at ages 5 and 7 y: a prospective cohort study of 656 children from the Faroe Islands. Am J Clin Nutr 2014; 99:5-13. [PMID: 24153349 PMCID: PMC3862459 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.113.066720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemicals with endocrine-disrupting abilities may act as obesogens and interfere with the body's natural weight-control mechanisms, especially if exposure occurs during prenatal life. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and subsequent obesity at 5 and 7 y of age. DESIGN From 1997 to 2000, 656 pregnant Faroese women were recruited. PCB and DDE were measured in maternal serum and breast milk, and children's weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were measured at clinical examinations at 5 and 7 y of age. The change in body mass index (BMI) from 5 to 7 y of age was calculated. Analyses were performed by using multiple linear regression models for girls and boys separately, taking into account maternal prepregnancy BMI. RESULTS For 7-y-old girls who had overweight mothers, PCB was associated with increased BMI (β = 2.07, P = 0.007), and PCB and DDE were associated with an increased change in BMI from 5 to 7 y of age (PCB: β = 1.23, P = 0.003; DDE: β = 1.11, P = 0.008). No association was observed with BMI in girls with normal-weight mothers. PCB was associated with increased WC in girls with overweight mothers (β = 2.48, P = 0.001) and normal-weight mothers (β = 1.25, P = 0.04); DDE was associated with increased WC only in girls with overweight mothers (β = 2.21, P = 0.002). No associations were observed between PCB or DDE and BMI in 5-y-old girls. For boys, no associations were observed. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that prenatal exposure to PCB and DDE may play a role for subsequent obesity development. Girls whose mothers have a high prepregnancy BMI seem most affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanett L Tang-Péronard
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark (JLT-P, HRA, PG, and TKJ); the Research Unit for Dietary Studies, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Frederiksberg, Denmark (JLT-P and BLH); the National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark (BLH); the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, Sydney Medical School, Sydney, Australia (BLH); the Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (US); and the Department of Environmental Medicine, Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (PW)
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Tang-Péronard JL, Andersen HR, Jensen TK, Heitmann BL. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and obesity development in humans: a review. Obes Rev 2011; 12:622-36. [PMID: 21457182 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789x.2011.00871.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
This study reviewed the literature on the relations between exposure to chemicals with endocrine-disrupting abilities and obesity in humans. The studies generally indicated that exposure to some of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals was associated with an increase in body size in humans. The results depended on the type of chemical, exposure level, timing of exposure and gender. Nearly all the studies investigating dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) found that exposure was associated with an increase in body size, whereas the results of the studies investigating polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure were depending on dose, timing and gender. Hexachlorobenzene, polybrominated biphenyls, beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, oxychlordane and phthalates were likewise generally associated with an increase in body size. Studies investigating polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans found either associations with weight gain or an increase in waist circumference, or no association. The one study investigating relations with bisphenol A found no association. Studies investigating prenatal exposure indicated that exposure in utero may cause permanent physiological changes predisposing to later weight gain. The study findings suggest that some endocrine disruptors may play a role for the development of the obesity epidemic, in addition to the more commonly perceived putative contributors.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Tang-Péronard
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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9
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Burns JS, Williams PL, Sergeyev O, Korrick S, Lee MM, Revich B, Altshul L, Del Prato JT, Humblet O, Patterson DG, Turner WE, Needham LL, Starovoytov M, Hauser R. Serum dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls are associated with growth among Russian boys. Pediatrics 2011; 127:e59-68. [PMID: 21187307 PMCID: PMC3010086 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009-3556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We evaluated the associations of serum dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with longitudinally assessed growth measurements among peripubertal Russian boys. METHODS A total of 499 boys from Chapaevsk, Russia, aged 8 to 9 years were enrolled in the study from 2003 to 2005 and were followed prospectively for 3 years. Blood samples were collected and physical examinations were conducted at entry and repeated at annual study visits. Multivariate mixed-effects regression models for repeated measures were used to examine the associations of serum dioxins and PCBs with longitudinal measurements of BMI, height, and height velocity. RESULTS Serum dioxin (total 2005 toxic equivalency [TEQ] median: 21.1 pg/g lipid) and PCBs (median sum of PCBs: 250 ng/g lipid) were measured in 468 boys. At study entry and during 3 years of follow-up, >50% of the boys had age-adjusted BMI and height z scores within 1 SD of World Health Organization-standardized mean values for age. Boys in the highest exposure quintile of the sum of dioxin and PCB concentrations and total TEQs had a significant decrease in mean BMI z scores of 0.67 for dioxins and TEQs and 1.04 for PCBs, compared with boys in the lowest exposure quintile. Comparison of the highest versus the lowest quintile revealed that higher serum PCB concentrations were associated with significantly lower height z scores (mean z-score decrease: 0.41) and height velocity (mean decrease: 0.19 cm/year) after 3 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that exposures to dioxins and PCBs are associated with reduced growth during the peripubertal period and may compromise adult body mass, stature, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S. Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
| | - Paige L. Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Department of Physical Education and Health, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia; ,Chapaevsk Medical Association, Chapaevsk, Samara Region, Russia
| | - Susan Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and ,Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mary M. Lee
- Pediatric Endocrine Division, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Boris Revich
- Centers for Demography and Human Ecology, Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Larisa Altshul
- Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc, Needham, Massachusetts
| | - Julie T. Del Prato
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
| | - Olivier Humblet
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
| | | | - Wayman E. Turner
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | - Larry L. Needham
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | | | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
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Jackson LW, Lynch CD, Kostyniak PJ, McGuinness BM, Louis GMB. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and child size at 24 months of age. Reprod Toxicol 2009; 29:25-31. [PMID: 19819326 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2009.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2009] [Revised: 09/17/2009] [Accepted: 09/26/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Research suggests that exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may result in decreased child growth, though the critical window(s) are unclear. We investigated the association between PCBs and child size at age 24 months (n=44). PCBs were measured in first trimester serum, breast milk, and child serum at age 24 months, and dichotomized at the median. Age- and gender-specific z-scores were calculated for anthropometric measures. Using linear regression, we observed no significant changes in z-scores with prenatal or postnatal serum PCB concentrations. PCB-77 in breast milk was associated with a significant decrease in z-score for length. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine child size in relation to PCBs measured early in pregnancy, as well as quantifying a far greater number of congeners. Further research is needed to clarify critical windows, congener-specific effects, and effect modification by sex in relation to PCBs and child anthropometric measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila W Jackson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, WG37, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4945, United States.
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Wigle DT, Arbuckle TE, Turner MC, Bérubé A, Yang Q, Liu S, Krewski D. Epidemiologic evidence of relationships between reproductive and child health outcomes and environmental chemical contaminants. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2008; 11:373-517. [PMID: 18074303 DOI: 10.1080/10937400801921320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 287] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes the level of epidemiologic evidence for relationships between prenatal and/or early life exposure to environmental chemical contaminants and fetal, child, and adult health. Discussion focuses on fetal loss, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, birth defects, respiratory and other childhood diseases, neuropsychological deficits, premature or delayed sexual maturation, and certain adult cancers linked to fetal or childhood exposures. Environmental exposures considered here include chemical toxicants in air, water, soil/house dust and foods (including human breast milk), and consumer products. Reports reviewed here included original epidemiologic studies (with at least basic descriptions of methods and results), literature reviews, expert group reports, meta-analyses, and pooled analyses. Levels of evidence for causal relationships were categorized as sufficient, limited, or inadequate according to predefined criteria. There was sufficient epidemiological evidence for causal relationships between several adverse pregnancy or child health outcomes and prenatal or childhood exposure to environmental chemical contaminants. These included prenatal high-level methylmercury (CH(3)Hg) exposure (delayed developmental milestones and cognitive, motor, auditory, and visual deficits), high-level prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and related toxicants (neonatal tooth abnormalities, cognitive and motor deficits), maternal active smoking (delayed conception, preterm birth, fetal growth deficit [FGD] and sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS]) and prenatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (preterm birth), low-level childhood lead exposure (cognitive deficits and renal tubular damage), high-level childhood CH(3)Hg exposure (visual deficits), high-level childhood exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (chloracne), childhood ETS exposure (SIDS, new-onset asthma, increased asthma severity, lung and middle ear infections, and adult breast and lung cancer), childhood exposure to biomass smoke (lung infections), and childhood exposure to outdoor air pollutants (increased asthma severity). Evidence for some proven relationships came from investigation of relatively small numbers of children with high-dose prenatal or early childhood exposures, e.g., CH(3)Hg poisoning episodes in Japan and Iraq. In contrast, consensus on a causal relationship between incident asthma and ETS exposure came only recently after many studies and prolonged debate. There were many relationships supported by limited epidemiologic evidence, ranging from several studies with fairly consistent findings and evidence of dose-response relationships to those where 20 or more studies provided inconsistent or otherwise less than convincing evidence of an association. The latter included childhood cancer and parental or childhood exposures to pesticides. In most cases, relationships supported by inadequate epidemiologic evidence reflect scarcity of evidence as opposed to strong evidence of no effect. This summary points to three main needs: (1) Where relationships between child health and environmental exposures are supported by sufficient evidence of causal relationships, there is a need for (a) policies and programs to minimize population exposures and (b) population-based biomonitoring to track exposure levels, i.e., through ongoing or periodic surveys with measurements of contaminant levels in blood, urine and other samples. (2) For relationships supported by limited evidence, there is a need for targeted research and policy options ranging from ongoing evaluation of evidence to proactive actions. (3) There is a great need for population-based, multidisciplinary and collaborative research on the many relationships supported by inadequate evidence, as these represent major knowledge gaps. Expert groups faced with evaluating epidemiologic evidence of potential causal relationships repeatedly encounter problems in summarizing the available data. A major driver for undertaking such summaries is the need to compensate for the limited sample sizes of individual epidemiologic studies. Sample size limitations are major obstacles to exploration of prenatal, paternal, and childhood exposures during specific time windows, exposure intensity, exposure-exposure or exposure-gene interactions, and relatively rare health outcomes such as childhood cancer. Such research needs call for investments in research infrastructure, including human resources and methods development (standardized protocols, biomarker research, validated exposure metrics, reference analytic laboratories). These are needed to generate research findings that can be compared and subjected to pooled analyses aimed at knowledge synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald T Wigle
- McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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