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

Citation

Mendez, Michelle A.; Garcia-Esteban, Raquel; Guxens, Monica; Vrijheid, Martine; Kogevinas, Manolis; Goni, Fernando; Fochs, Silvia; & Sunyer, Jordi (2011). Prenatal Organochlorine Compound Exposure, Rapid Weight Gain, and Overweight in Infancy. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(2), 272-278. PMCID: PMC3040617

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although 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.
OBJECTIVES: We 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.
METHODS: Data 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, beta-hexachlorohexane, and polychlorinated biphenyls in first-trimester maternal serum.
RESULTS: After 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.
CONCLUSIONS: In 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.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1002169

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2011

Journal Title

Environmental Health Perspectives

Author(s)

Mendez, Michelle A.
Garcia-Esteban, Raquel
Guxens, Monica
Vrijheid, Martine
Kogevinas, Manolis
Goni, Fernando
Fochs, Silvia
Sunyer, Jordi

PMCID

PMC3040617