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In utero and childhood polybrominated diphenyl ether exposures and body mass at age 7 years: the CHAMACOS study

Ayca Erkin-Cakmak1, Kim G Harley, Jonathan Chevrier

  • 1Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.

Environmental Health Perspectives
|March 5, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Maternal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was linked to childhood obesity, with higher risks in boys and lower risks in girls. Child serum BDE-153 showed an inverse association with BMI, regardless of sex.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardants that accumulate in humans.
  • High PBDE levels are found in California children, potentially disrupting endocrine systems and contributing to obesity.
  • This study investigates the link between PBDE exposure and childhood obesity in a Latino population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine associations between prenatal and postnatal exposure to pentaBDE mixture components and childhood obesity.
  • To analyze sex-specific effects of PBDE exposure on body mass index (BMI) in children.
  • To explore the relationship between specific PBDE congeners and BMI in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Serum PBDE levels were measured in 224 mothers during pregnancy and their children at age 7.
  • Body mass index (BMI) was assessed in children at 7 years of age.
  • Statistical analyses explored associations between maternal/child PBDE concentrations and child BMI z-scores, considering sex interactions.

Main Results:

  • Maternal PBDE serum levels during pregnancy showed sex-specific associations with child BMI z-scores at age 7 (higher in boys, lower in girls; pinteraction = 0.04).
  • Child serum BDE-153 concentration was inversely associated with BMI z-scores at age 7 (βadjusted = -1.15), irrespective of sex.
  • Other pentaBDE congeners did not show significant associations with BMI.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal PBDE exposure during pregnancy is associated with sex-specific BMI outcomes in children at age 7.
  • Childhood BDE-153 exposure is inversely associated with BMI, suggesting complex dose-response relationships.
  • Further research is needed on longitudinal obesity trends, hormonal changes, and potential reverse causality in PBDE-exposed children.
Abstract

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