Childhood growth and exposure to dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene and polychlorinated biphenyls.
OBJECTIVE
Dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), toxic contaminants known to be persistent in the environment, may affect growth. We investigated whether growth from birth to 10 years of age is associated with blood concentrations of DDE and PCB taken at 8 years of age.


METHODS
We ambispectively followed up a cohort of 343 German children. DDE and PCB blood concentrations were determined in 1995. Height measurements were conducted prospectively between 1994 and 1997 and obtained retrospectively from each Child's Health Card. Linear regression models for repeated measurements, controlling for confounding factors, were applied.


RESULTS
Growth was significantly reduced by an average of 1.8 cm (P <.0275) for girls in the highest DDE concentration quartile (>.44 microg/L in whole blood) compared with girls in the lowest quartile (0.08-0.2 microg/L). There was no observed growth effect of DDE in boys. PCB blood concentrations were not related to growth reduction in either girls or boys.


CONCLUSIONS
Background level concentrations to DDE, but not PCB, during childhood are associated with a small reduction in growth for girls evident through the age of 8 years. The observed differences narrow at the year 9 examination and disappear at the year 10 examination. No effects on boys' heights were observed.
Karmaus
Wilfried
W
Department of Epidemiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing.
Asakevich
Scott
S
Indurkhya
Alka
A
Witten
Jutta
J
Kruse
Hermann
H
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007306:Insecticides; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls