title: Prenatal exposure to environmental contaminants and body composition at age 7-9 years.
abstract: The study aim was to investigate the association between prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and the body composition of 7 to 9 year old Flemish children. The subjects were 114 Flemish children (50% boys) that took part in the first Flemish Environment and Health Study (2002-2006). Cadmium, PCBs, dioxins, p,p'-DDE and HCB were analysed in cord blood/plasma. When the child reached 7-9 years, height, weight, waist circumference and skinfolds were measured. Significant associations between prenatal exposure to EDCs and indicators of body composition were only found in girls. After adjustment for confounders and covariates, a significant negative association was found in girls between prenatal cadmium exposure and weight, BMI and waist circumference (indicator of abdominal fat) and the sum of four skinfolds (indicator of subcutaneous fat). In contrast, a significant positive association (after adjustment for confounders/covariates) was found between prenatal p,p'-DDE exposure and waist circumference as well as waist/height ratio in girls (indicators of abdominal fat). No significant associations were found for prenatal PCBs, dioxins and HCB exposure after adjustment for confounders/covariates. This study suggests a positive association between prenatal p,p'-DDE exposure and indicators of abdominal fat and a negative association between prenatal cadmium exposure and indicators of both abdominal as well as subcutaneous fat in girls between 7 and 9 years old.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, UZ 2 Blok A, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Immle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Delvaux
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, UZ 2 Blok A, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jolijn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Cauwenberghe
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Elly
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Den Hond
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schoeters
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Govarts
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Provincial Institute for Hygiene, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nelen
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium.
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baeyens
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Larebeke
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, UZ 2 Blok A, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; FWO Research Foundation, Egmontstraat 5, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: isabelle.sioen@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sioen
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002648:Child; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000633:toxicity*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D002104:Cadmium; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene
keywords: Body composition; Children; Endocrine disruptors; Growth; Prenatal exposure