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First year growth in relation to prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors - a Dutch prospective cohort study
Marijke de Cock1, Michiel R de Boer2, Marja Lamoree3
1Section Health and Life Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.de.cock@vu.nl.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals like phthalates and DDE may impact infant growth. Specific phthalates and DDE were linked to altered body mass index (BMI) and head circumference (HC) in the first year of life.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Developmental Toxicology
Background:
- Early life growth patterns are potential predictors of later childhood obesity.
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are environmental contaminants that can interfere with hormonal systems.
- Prenatal exposure to EDCs may influence fetal development and early childhood growth trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to specific EDCs and infant growth.
- To assess the relationship between exposure to DDE, phthalates, PCBs, and PFAS with infant BMI and head circumference.
Main Methods:
- Measured levels of DDE, MECPP, MEHHP, MEOHP, PCB-153, PFOS, and PFOA in cord plasma or breast milk.
- Collected anthropometric data (weight, length, head circumference) up to 11 months postpartum from 89 mother-child pairs.
- Utilized mixed-effects models to analyze associations between EDC exposure quartiles and growth outcomes.
Main Results:
- Mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl)phthalate (MEOHP) exposure was associated with higher BMI in boys in the lowest exposure quartile.
- High Dichloro-diphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) exposure correlated with lower BMI in boys over the first year.
- Increased head circumference (HC) was observed in boys exposed to high MECPP and in girls exposed to MEHHP and DDE.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to certain phthalates and DDE is associated with infant body mass index (BMI) and head circumference (HC).
- These findings suggest potential developmental effects of EDCs during the critical first year of life.
- Results should be interpreted cautiously due to the study's limited sample size.
Abstract:
Growth in the first year of life may already be predictive of obesity later in childhood. The objective was to assess the association between prenatal exposure to various endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and child growth during the first year. Dichloro-diphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl)phthalate (MECPP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl)phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl)phthalate (MEOHP), polychlorinated biphenyl-153, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and perfluoro-octanoic acid were measured in cord plasma or breast milk. Data on weight, length, and head circumference (HC) until 11 months after birth was obtained from 89 mother-child pairs. Mixed models were composed for each health outcome and exposure in quartiles. For MEOHP, boys in quartile 1 had a higher BMI than higher exposed boys (p = 0.029). High DDE exposure was associated with low BMI over time in boys (0.8 kg/m2 difference at 11 m). Boys with high MECPP exposure had a greater HC (1.0 cm difference at 11 m) than other boys (p = 0.047), as did girls in the second quartile of MEHHP (p = 0.018) and DDE (p < 0.001) exposure. In conclusion, exposure to phthalates and DDE was associated with BMI as well as with HC during the first year after birth. These results should be interpreted with caution though, due to the limited sample size.
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