title: Pre-natal exposure to dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene and infant lower respiratory tract infections and wheeze.
abstract: The aim of our study was to examine whether pre-natal exposure to dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and wheeze in infants. The study is based on a birth cohort of 1,455 mother-child pairs. Maternal serum concentrations of DDE, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were measured during pregnancy. Parental reports on LRTI and wheeze were obtained when children were 12-14 months old. 35.4% of children developed at least one LRTI episode and 33.6% at least one wheezing episode during their first 12-14 months of life. Median DDE, PCBs and HCB concentrations were 116.3, 113.7 and 46.4 ng · g(-1) lipid, respectively. DDE concentrations were associated with LRTI risk (relative risk (RR) per 10% increase 1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.22), also after adjustment for PCBs and HCB. In all quartiles of DDE exposure, the risk of LRTI was increased compared with the lowest quartile, but the increase was statistically significant only in the third quartile (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.08-1.62). No association was observed for PCBs and HCB. Results were similar for wheeze. This study suggests that pre-natal DDE exposure is associated with a higher risk of LRTI and wheeze in infants independently of exposure to other organochlorine compounds.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. mgascon@creal.cat
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gascon
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrijheid
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Mikel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basterrechea
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blarduni
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esplugues
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vizcaino
authors.forename: Joan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Grimalt
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007306:Insecticides / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood*; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012306:Risk; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D008055:Lipids; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls