Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Infant Growth: A Pooled Analysis of Seven European Birth Cohorts.
BACKGROUND
Infant exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may contribute to obesity. However, many studies so far have been small, focused on transplacental exposure, used an inappropriate measure to assess postnatal exposure through breastfeeding if any, or did not discern between prenatal and postnatal effects.


OBJECTIVE
We investigated prenatal and postnatal exposure to POPs and infant growth (a predictor of obesity).


METHODS
We pooled data from seven European birth cohorts with biomarker concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl 153 (PCB-153) (n = 2,487), and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) (n = 1,864), estimating prenatal and postnatal POPs exposure using a validated pharmacokinetic model. Growth was change in weight-for-age z-score between birth and 24 months. Per compound, multilevel models were fitted with either POPs total exposure from conception to 24 months or prenatal or postnatal exposure.


RESULTS
We found a significant increase in growth associated with p,p'-DDE, seemingly due to prenatal exposure (per interquartile increase in exposure, adjusted β = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.22). Due to heterogeneity across cohorts, this estimate cannot be considered precise, but does indicate that an association with infant growth is present on average. In contrast, a significant decrease in growth was associated with postnatal PCB-153 exposure (β = -0.10; 95% CI: -0.19, -0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date of POPs exposure and infant growth, and it contains state-of-the-art exposure modeling. Prenatal p,p'-DDE was associated with increased infant growth, and postnatal PCB-153 with decreased growth at European exposure levels.
Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Nina
N
Iszatt
Hein
H
Stigum
Marc-André
MA
Verner
Richard A
RA
White
Eva
E
Govarts
Lubica Palkovicova
LP
Murinova
Greet
G
Schoeters
Tomas
T
Trnovec
Juliette
J
Legler
Fabienne
F
Pelé
Jérémie
J
Botton
Cécile
C
Chevrier
Jürgen
J
Wittsiepe
Ulrich
U
Ranft
Stéphanie
S
Vandentorren
Monika
M
Kasper-Sonnenberg
Claudia
C
Klümper
Nynke
N
Weisglas-Kuperus
Anuschka
A
Polder
Merete
M
Eggesbø
D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls