title: Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and rapid weight gain and overweight in infancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on rapid growth in the first 6 months of life and overweight at 14 months of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a Spanish birth cohort study, the POPs dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs-congeners 153, 138, 180) were measured in maternal serum collected in the first trimester of pregnancy during 2003-2008. Rapid growth was defined as a z-score weight gain >0.67 SD between 6 months of age and birth. Overweight at 14 months was defined as a BMI z-score ≥85th percentile. Generalized linear models examined the association between POPs and rapid growth (N = 1285) and overweight (N = 1198).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis population included 24% rapid growers and 30% overweight infants. DDE and HCB were positively associated with rapid growth and with overweight. There was some indication that infant sex and exclusive breastfeeding duration may modify the effects of DDE, and that maternal prepregnancy BMI status may influence the effects of HCB. PCBs were not related to postnatal growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal exposure to DDE and HCB may be associated with early postnatal growth. Further research is needed to evaluate the persistence of these associations at older ages.
authors: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Hospital de Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Damaskini
authors: D
authors: Valvi
authors: Michelle Ann
authors: MA
authors: Mendez
authors: Raquel
authors: R
authors: Garcia-Esteban
authors: Ferran
authors: F
authors: Ballester
authors: Jesús
authors: J
authors: Ibarluzea
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Goñi
authors: Joan O
authors: JO
authors: Grimalt
authors: Sabrina
authors: S
authors: Llop
authors: Loreto Santa
authors: LS
authors: Marina
authors: Esther
authors: E
authors: Vizcaino
authors: Jordi
authors: J
authors: Sunyer
authors: Martine
authors: M
authors: Vrijheid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D050177:Overweight / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene