Prenatal Organochlorine Compound Exposure, Rapid Weight Gain, and Overweight in Infancy

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough it has been hypothesized that fetal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may increase obesity risk, empirical data are limited, and it is uncertain how early in life any effects may begin.ObjectivesWe explored whether prenatal exposure to several organochlorine compounds (OCs) is associated with rapid growth in the first 6 months of life and body mass index (BMI) later in infancy.MethodsData come from the INMA (Infancia y Medio-Ambiente) Child and Environment birth cohort in Spain, which recruited 657 women in early pregnancy. Rapid growth during the first 6 months was defined as a change in weight-for-age z-scores > 0.67, and elevated BMI at 14 months, as a z-score ≥ the 85th percentile. Generalized linear models were used to estimate the risk of rapid growth or elevated BMI associated with 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene, β-hexachlorohexane, and polychlorinated biphenyls in first-trimester maternal serum.ResultsAfter multivariable adjustment including other OCs, DDE exposure above the first quartile was associated with doubling of the risk of rapid growth among children of normal-weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2), but not overweight, mothers. DDE was also associated with elevated BMI at 14 months (relative risk per unit increase in log DDE = 1.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–2.03). Other OCs were not associated with rapid growth or elevated BMI after adjustment.ConclusionsIn this study we found prenatal DDE exposure to be associated with rapid weight gain in the first 6 months and elevated BMI later in infancy, among infants of normal-weight mothers. More research exploring the potential role of chemical exposures in early-onset obesity is needed.

Prenatal Exposure to Persistent Organochlorines and Childhood Obesity in the U.S. Collaborative Perinatal Project

“…Similar to previous studies conducted among subjects who experienced relatively high exposure, prenatal exposure to p,p´-DDE was not associated with BMI (Cupul-Uicab et al 2010;Gladen et al 2004) (see Supplemental Material, Table S7). Earlier studies that reported an association between DDE exposure and higher BMI during infancy and childhood (Mendez et al 2011;Valvi et al 2012;Verhulst et al 2009) had median levels of p,p´-DDE that were lower than or close to the lowest level of exposure found in the CPP participants (lowest value of p,p´-DDE in the CPP, 0.34 μg/g lipid). In addition, these non-null findings tended to be limited to certain subgroups (i.e., higher BMI with DDE exposure among children whose mothers smoked ever or among children whose mothers had a normal prepregnancy BMI) (Mendez et al 2011;Verhulst et al 2009).…”

“…Earlier studies that reported an association between DDE exposure and higher BMI during infancy and childhood (Mendez et al 2011;Valvi et al 2012;Verhulst et al 2009) had median levels of p,p´-DDE that were lower than or close to the lowest level of exposure found in the CPP participants (lowest value of p,p´-DDE in the CPP, 0.34 μg/g lipid). In addition, these non-null findings tended to be limited to certain subgroups (i.e., higher BMI with DDE exposure among children whose mothers smoked ever or among children whose mothers had a normal prepregnancy BMI) (Mendez et al 2011;Verhulst et al 2009). In the present study, however, DDE did not µg/L CPP (1959-1965) NHANES (2003 show an interaction with maternal smoking or prepregnancy BMI.…”

“…CPP participants experienced particularly high exposure to DDT and its main breakdown product, p,p´-DDE. Few people with very low levels of p,p´-DDE were in the CPP, thus comparing results to studies with statistically significant findings (Mendez et al 2011;Verhulst et al 2009) is not straightforward.…”

Adiposity, body composition, and weight change in relation to organochlorine pollutant plasma concentrations

“…28 A recent study reported that maternal serum DDE levels were associated with rapid infant weight gain and elevated 14-month BMI in their offspring. 29 Certainly, more research in adults is needed from longitudinal studies of the effects of these chemicals on weight gain and on patterns of weight gain.…”

The Role of Endocrine Disruptors on Metabolic Dysfunction

“…An emerging additional view hypothesizes that metabolic programming of obesity and metabolic risk may be linked to perinatal exposure to EDCs at low environmentally-relevant doses [94][95][96][97]. Indeed, it is well acknowledged that perinatal exposure to these compounds occurs with influence in birth weight and later health outcomes [98][99][100][101][102][103].…”