Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and changes in infant growth and childhood growth trajectories. (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cai, Anran; Portengen, Lützen; Govarts, Eva; Martin, Laura Rodriguez; Schoeters, Greet; Legler, Juliette; Vermeulen, Roel; Lenters, Virissa; Remy, Sylvie
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 314(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: Organochlorines -- Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances -- Infant growth -- Childhood growth trajectory -- Longitudinal study -- Multi-pollutant; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137695
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Children are born with a burden of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which may have endocrine disrupting properties and have been postulated to contribute to the rise in childhood obesity. The current evidence is equivocal, which may partly because many studies investigate the effects at one time point during childhood. We assessed associations between prenatal exposure to POPs and growth during infancy and childhood. Methods: We used data from two Belgian cohorts with cord blood measurements of five organochlorines [(dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene ( p, p' -DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB-138, -150, −180)] (N = 1418) and two perfluoroalkyl substances [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)] (N = 346). We assessed infant growth, defined as body mass index (BMI) z-score change between birth and 2 years, and childhood growth, characterized as BMI trajectory from birth to 8 years. To evaluate associations between POP exposures and infant growth, we applied a multi-pollutant approach, using penalized elastic net regression with stability selection, controlling for covariates. To evaluate associations with childhood growth, we used single-pollutant linear mixed models with random effects for child individual, parametrized using a natural cubic spline formulation. Results: PCB-153 was associated with increased and p, p' -DDE with decreased infant growth, although these results were imprecise. No clear association between any of the exposures and longer-term childhood growth trajectories was observed. We did not find evidence of effect modification by child sex. Conclusion: Our results suggest that prenatal exposure to PCB-153 and p, p' -DDE may affect infant growth in the first two years, with no evidence of more persistent effects. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Multi-pollutant approach is advocated in chemical risk assessment. Prenatal PCB-153 exposure might be related to increased infant growth. Prenatal p, p '-DDE exposure might be associated with decreased infant growth. Longitudinal data are useful for investigating the persistent effects of environmental pollutants.