Prenatal exposure to environmental contaminants and body composition at age 7–9 years Immle Delvaux a , Jolijn Van Cauwenberghe a , Elly Den Hond b , Greet Schoeters b , Eva Govarts b , Vera Nelen c , Willy Baeyens d , Nicolas Van Larebeke e , Isabelle Sioen a,f,n a Department of Public Health, Ghent University, UZ 2 Blok A, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium b Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium c Department of Health, Provincial Institute for Hygiene, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium d Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium e Department of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium f FWO Research Foundation, Egmontstraat 5, 1000 Brussels, Belgium article info Article history: Received 17 September 2013 Received in revised form 13 March 2014 Accepted 20 March 2014 Keywords: Children Body composition Endocrine disruptors Growth Prenatal exposure abstract The study aim was to investigate the association between prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and the body composition of 7 to 9 year old Flemish children. The subjects were 114 Flemish children (50% boys) that took part in the first Flemish Environment and Health Study (2002– 2006). Cadmium, PCBs, dioxins, p,p 0 -DDE and HCB were analysed in cord blood/plasma. When the child reached 7–9 years, height, weight, waist circumference and skinfolds were measured. Significant associations between prenatal exposure to EDCs and indicators of body composition were only found in girls. After adjustment for confounders and covariates, a significant negative association was found in girls between prenatal cadmium exposure and weight, BMI and waist circumference (indicator of abdominal fat) and the sum of four skinfolds (indicator of subcutaneous fat). In contrast, a significant positive association (after adjustment for confounders/covariates) was found between prenatal p,p 0 -DDE exposure and waist circumference as well as waist/height ratio in girls (indicators of abdominal fat). No significant associations were found for prenatal PCBs, dioxins and HCB exposure after adjustment for confounders/covariates. This study suggests a positive association between prenatal p,p 0 -DDE exposure and indicators of abdominal fat and a negative association between prenatal cadmium exposure and indicators of both abdominal as well as subcutaneous fat in girls between 7 and 9 years old. & 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Obesity in children is an important health problem since most obese and overweight children grow up to be obese adults (Guo et al., 2002). Prevention of overweight and obesity in children is a priority because these diseases are linked to a number of severe health problems such as diabetes mellitus type 2, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers (Collins, 2005). Besides genetic, behavioural and dietary factors, also environmental factors, e.g. exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may be risk factors for developing obesity. EDCs can interfere with the human endocrine system, potentially playing a role in the development of obesity (Newbold, 2010; Tang-Peronard et al., 2011). Polychlori- nated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-diox- ins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans), para,para-dichlorodi- phenyldichloroethylene (p,p 0 -DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and heavy metals like cadmium are all considered to act as EDCs. Studies have indicated that dioxins can bind the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, induce the cytochrome P450 1A enzyme and have an antiestrogenic action, while PCBs induce the pregnane X receptor and the constitutive androstane receptor and induce thyroid hormone disruption. HCB and p,p 0 -DDE are thought to have an antiandrogenic function (Legler et al., 2011). Cadmium can affect the secretory patterns of pituitary hormones and the synthesis of progesterone (Iavicoli et al., 2009). Recent epidemiological studies suggest that EDCs exposure during the critical period of foetal development is associated with overweight and obesity later in life. Results of these studies are summarized in Table 1. This table is limited to studies with children in the age range between 4.5 and 16 years old. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envres Environmental Research http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2014.03.019 0013-9351/& 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Abbreviations: EDCs, endocrine disrupting chemicals; PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls; p,p 0 -DDE, para,para-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene; HCB, hexachlor- obenzene; BMI, body mass index; FLEHS, Flemish Environment and Health Study; LOD, limit of detection n Corresponding author at: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, UZ 2 Blok A, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Fax: þ32 9 332 49 94. E-mail address: isabelle.sioen@ugent.be (I. Sioen). Environmental Research 132 (2014) 24–32