Prenatal Exposure to Organochlorine Compounds and Birth Size

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible association between birth size and cord concentrations of some organochlorine compounds (OCs), including 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), 4,4'-1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-dichlorodiphenyl) ethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH), 4 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners (118, 138, 153, and 180), and their sum (Sigma PCBs) in a birth cohort in Valencia, Spain. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 494 mothers and their newborns (born 2003-2006) participated in the study. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed between birth weight, length, or head circumference and OC concentrations. RESULTS: Median concentrations of 4,4'-DDT, 4,4'-DDE, HCB, beta-HCH, and Sigma PCBs were 0.02, 0.46, 0.22, 0.09, and 0.35 ng/mL, respectively. For birth weight there was a significant decrease of 63 and 107 g for each 10-fold increase in cord serum 4,4'-DDT and 4,4'-DDE concentrations, and a marginally significant decrease of 79 and 53 g for each 10-fold increase in HCB and beta-HCH concentrations. A significant decrease of 0.39 cm in birth length was found for each 10-fold increase in HCB concentrations. For newborns with cord 4,4'-DDT concentrations above the median there was a significant decrease of 0.26 cm in birth head circumference. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal that prenatal exposure to some OCs could impair the anthropometric development of the fetus, reducing the birth weight, length, and head circumference. Pediatrics 2011; 128:e127-e134