Association of maternal serum concentrations of 2,2', 4,4'5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE) levels with birth weight, gestational age and preterm births in Inuit and European populations.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological studies on the association between maternal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and fetal growth alteration report inconsistent findings which weights in favor of additional studies.


METHODS
Blood samples were collected from interviewed pregnant women in Greenland (572), Kharkiv (611) and Warsaw (258) and were analyzed for CB-153 and p,p'-DDE by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Data on birth weight, gestational age and preterm birth were obtained for 1322 singleton live births. We examined the association between natural log-transformed serum POPs concentration and birth weight and gestational age using multiple linear regression and the association with prematurity using logistic regression controlling for potential confounding factors.


RESULTS
The median serum concentrations of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE were for Inuit mothers 105.6 and 298.9, for Kharkiv mothers 27.0 and 645.4 and for Warsaw mothers 10.7 and 365.2 ng/g lipids, respectively. Increase in CB-153 concentration by one unit on the log scale in Inuit mothers serum was associated with significant decrease in infant birth weight of -59 g and gestational age by -0.2 week. Decreases observed in the cohorts in Kharkiv (-10 g and -0.1 week) and in Warsaw (-49 g and -0.2 week) were not statistically significant. Increase in p,p'-DDE concentration by one unit on the log scale was associated with a statistically significant decrease in infant birth weight of -39.4 g and -104.3 g and shortening of gestational age of -0.2 week and -0.6 week in the Inuit and Warsaw cohorts, respectively. In the Kharkiv cohort decrease in birth weight (-30.5 g) was not significant, however a shortening of gestational age of -0.2 week per increase in p,p'-DDE concentration by one unit on the log scale was of the borderline significance. There was no significant association between CB-153 and p,p'-DDE concentrations and risk of preterm birth however, in all cohorts the odds ratio was above 1.


CONCLUSIONS
In utero exposure to POPs may reduce birth weight and gestational age of newborns however, new insights as to why results vary across studies were not apparent.
Wojtyniak
Bogdan J
BJ
Department-Centre of Monitoring and Analyses of Population Health, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland. bogdan@pzh.gov.pl
Rabczenko
Daniel
D
Jönsson
Bo A G
BA
Zvezday
Valentyna
V
Pedersen
Henning S
HS
Rylander
Lars
L
Toft
Gunnar
G
Ludwicki
Jan K
JK
Góralczyk
Katarzyna
K
Lesovaya
Anna
A
Hagmar
Lars
L
Bonde
Jens Peter
JP
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006116:Greenland; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011044:Poland; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D014455:Ukraine; D044465:White People
D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene
Am J Epidemiol. 1998 Mar 1;147(5):493-502
9525537
Arch Environ Health. 2000 May-Jun;55(3):195-200
10908103
Environ Health. 2005 Nov 11;4:27
16283941
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 1996 Jan;30(1):139-41
8579383
Obstet Gynecol. 2000 May;95(5):752-5
10775742
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 1997 Apr;32(3):329-36
9096084
Environ Health Perspect. 1998 Feb;106(2):61-6
9432971
Environ Health Perspect. 1985 Feb;59:41-5
3921362
Pediatr Res. 1998 Oct;44(4):538-45
9773843
Epidemiology. 2005 Sep;16(5):648-56
16135941
Environ Res. 2005 Feb;97(2):149-62
15533331
Lancet. 2005 Aug 27-Sep 2;366(9487):763-73
16125595
Int J Epidemiol. 2001 Dec;30(6):1272-8
11821327
Annu Rev Public Health. 1997;18:211-44
9143718
Environ Health. 2004 Jan 28;3(1):1
14748928
Science. 1988 Jul 15;241(4863):334-6
3133768
Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Oct 15;162(8):717-25
16120698
J Pediatr. 1986 Aug;109(2):335-41
3090217
Am J Epidemiol. 1993 Dec 1;138(11):923-36
8256780
Hum Reprod. 2004 Sep;19(9):2066-75
15284211
Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2008 May;22(3):202-13
18426515
Sci Total Environ. 2000 Dec 18;263(1-3):197-208
11194153
Am J Epidemiol. 1989 Feb;129(2):395-406
2492144
Ann Epidemiol. 2003 Mar;13(3):158-62
12604158
Pediatr Res. 2002 Aug;52(2):163-7
12149491
Epidemiology. 2005 Sep;16(5):641-7
16135940
Hum Exp Toxicol. 2002 Jan;21(1):1-6
12046717
Environ Res. 1982 Jun;28(1):106-12
6179776
Lancet. 2001 Jul 14;358(9276):110-4
11463412
Epidemiology. 2007 Jan;18(1):120-9
17179760
Reprod Toxicol. 2004 Nov;19(1):5-26
15336708
Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Oct 15;162(8):726-8
16120697
Environ Health Perspect. 2003 Apr;111(4):409-13
12676591
Ann Epidemiol. 2003 Mar;13(3):151-7
12604157
J Pediatr. 1984 Aug;105(2):315-20
6431068