Effects of prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants on birth weight and child weight gain

The first thousand days of a child's life is a critical period for pollutant exposure, as the fetus and child are especially vulnerable to environmental pollutants. This review presents an overview of studies carried out on prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants and their effects on birth weight and childhood weight gain from 2019 to 2022. The total number of studies evaluated was 20, with 19 being birth cohort studies. Nine studies (45%) observed a lower birth weight, and 35% (7) found an association with increased childhood weight gain. The main pollutants evaluated were persistent organic pollutants (6), mainly associated with childhood weight gain; metals (7), mainly associated with low birth weight; and phthalates (6), which reduced birth weight and weight gain but also increased childhood weight gain. In conclusion, there is evidence that prenatal and early childhood exposure to environmental pollutants can influence birth weight and child weight gain.