Thyroid function of newborns and exposure to chlorine dioxide by-products.
In this study, the authors compared thyroid function of newborns from 11 municipalities where drinking water was disinfected by chlorine dioxide (ClO2) with that of newborns from 15 municipalities using chlorine disinfection. They estimated the mean neonatal blood thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and proportion of congenital hypothyroidism cases using the results of the Quebec neonatal screening for congenital hypothyroidism for 32,978 newborns over the period 1993-1999. There was no significant increase in the TSH level and no excess of congenital hypothyroidism when all newborns exposed to ClO2 were considered. However, for newborns with low birth weight, mean TSH level was significantly higher among those exposed to ClO2 than for those in the reference group.
Ouhoummane
Najwa
N
Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Sainte-Foy (Quebec) Canada.
Levallois
Patrick
P
Gingras
Suzanne
S
D002675:Child, Preschool; D017606:Chlorine Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010087:Oxides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014881:Water Supply
D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D004202:Disinfectants; D010087:Oxides; C025109:chlorine dioxide