Original Articles
Childhood growth and exposure to dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene and polychlorinated biphenyls,☆☆,

https://doi.org/10.1067/mpd.2002.120764Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives: Dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), toxic contaminants known to be persistent in the environment, may affect growth. We investigated whether growth from birth to 10 years of age is associated with blood concentrations of DDE and PCB taken at 8 years of age. Study design: We ambispectively followed up a cohort of 343 German children. DDE and PCB blood concentrations were determined in 1995. Height measurements were conducted prospectively between 1994 and 1997 and obtained retrospectively from each Child's Health Card. Linear regression models for repeated measurements, controlling for confounding factors, were applied. Results: Growth was significantly reduced by an average of 1.8 cm (P < .0275) for girls in the highest DDE concentration quartile (> .44 μg/L in whole blood) compared with girls in the lowest quartile (0.08-0.2 μg/L). There was no observed growth effect of DDE in boys. PCB blood concentrations were not related to growth reduction in either girls or boys. Conclusions: Background level concentrations to DDE, but not PCB, during childhood are associated with a small reduction in growth for girls evident through the age of 8 years. The observed differences narrow at the year 9 examination and disappear at the year 10 examination. No effects on boys' heights were observed. (J Pediatr 2002;140:33-9)

Section snippets

Study population

After obtaining permits from the Data Protection Agency of the State of Hamburg, Germany, from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Hesse, Germany, and from the local school committees, we asked the parents of 1091 second grade school children in 18 townships to participate in our study. Informed consent, according to the requirements of the Ethical Committee of the Board of Physicians and the Data Protection Agency of the State of Hamburg, was obtained from all participating parents. Parents

Results

The proportion of participation was 61.5% (671/1091). We obtained blood samples from 350 children, and complete organo chlorine analyses could be conducted in 343 samples. Overall information (ie, from the Child's Health Card, the questionnaires, and on DDE and PCB determination) could be analyzed statistically in 343 children. The number of patients with complete data that could be analyzed for the various cross-sectional height models ranged from 212 at both 4 and 10 years of age to 313 at

Discussion

We analyzed the relationship between growth and DDE concentration at 8 years of age. At the onset of the study, we did have the previous hypothesis that growth in exposed children is reduced. However, we did not specify which exposure we would focus on, DDE or PCB. Because of budget limitations, the investigation had to select a subgroup of the total sample for blood analyses. Although we restricted phlebotomy to children who had lower ETS exposure in their homes to reduce the potentially

Acknowledgements

We thank the reviewers for their thoughts and contributions, with special emphasis regarding those comments that led to the addition of BMI to the statistical models.

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    Supported by the Ministry of Environment, Energy, Youth, Family and Health, Hesse, Germany.

    ☆☆

    The work of Scott Asakevich was covered by a grant from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, No. H75/ATH582536-06.

    Reprint requests: Wilfried Karmaus, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Michigan State University, 4660 S Hagadorn Rd, Suite 600, East Lansing, MI 48823.

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