Prenatal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Serum Testosterone Concentrations at 15 Years of Age in Female ALSPAC Study Participants

Background

Exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) or to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) increases mouse and human peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor alpha (PPARα) subtype activity, which influences lipid metabolism. Because cholesterol is the substrate from which testosterone is synthesized, exposure to these substances has the potential to alter testosterone concentrations.

Objectives

We explored associations of total testosterone and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations at age 15 years with prenatal exposures to PFOS, PFOA, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluoronanoic acid (PFNA) in females.

Methods

Prenatal concentrations of the perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were measured in serum collected from pregnant mothers at enrollment (1991–1992) in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The median gestational age when the maternal blood sample was obtained was 16 weeks (interquartile range, 11–28 weeks). Total testosterone and SHBG concentrations were measured in serum obtained from their daughters at 15 years of age. Associations between prenatal PFAAs concentrations and reproductive outcomes were estimated using linear regression models (n = 72).

Results

Adjusted total testosterone concentrations were on average 0.18-nmol/L (95% CI: 0.01, 0.35) higher in daughters with prenatal PFOS in the upper concentration tertile compared with daughters with prenatal PFOS in the lower tertile. Adjusted total testosterone concentrations were also higher in daughters with prenatal concentrations of PFOA (β = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.43) and PFHxS (β = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.35) in the upper tertile compared with daughters with concentrations in the lower tertile. We did not find evidence of associations between PFNA and total testosterone or between any of the PFAAs and SHBG.

Conclusions

Our findings were based on a small study sample and should be interpreted with caution. However, they suggest that prenatal exposure to some PFAAs may alter testosterone concentrations in females.

Citation

Maisonet M, Calafat AM, Marcus M, Jaakkola JJ, Lashen H. 2015. Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl acids and serum testosterone concentrations at 15 years of age in female ALSPAC study participants. Environ Health Perspect 123:1325–1330; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408847     

Prepubertal Serum Concentrations of Organochlorine Pesticides and Age at Sexual Maturity in Russian Boys

Background

Few human studies have evaluated the impact of childhood exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCP) on pubertal development.

Objective

We evaluated associations of serum OCP concentrations [hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (βHCH), and p,p-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE)] with age at attainment of sexual maturity among boys.

Methods

From 2003 through 2005, 350 8- to 9-year-old boys from Chapaevsk, Russia, with measured OCPs were enrolled and followed annually for 8 years. We used multivariable interval-censored models to evaluate associations of OCPs (quartiles) with three physician-assessed measures of sexual maturity: Tanner stage 5 for genitalia growth, Tanner stage 5 for pubic hair growth, or testicular volume (TV) ≥ 20 mL in either testis.

Results

In adjusted models, boys with higher HCB concentrations achieved sexual maturity reflected by TV ≥ 20 mL a mean of 3.1 months (95% CI: –1.7, 7.8), 5.3 months (95% CI: 0.6, 10.1), and 5.0 months (95% CI: 0.2, 9.8) later for quartiles Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively, compared with Q1 (p trend = 0.04). Tanner stage 5 for genitalia growth was attained a mean of 2.2 months (95% CI: –3.1, 7.5), 5.7 months (95% CI: 0.4, 11.0), and 3.7 months (95% CI: –1.7, 9.1) later for quartiles Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively, of βHCH compared with Q1 (p trend = 0.09). Tanner stage 5 for pubic hair growth occurred 6–9 months later on average for boys in the highest versus lowest quartile for HCB (p trend < 0.001), βHCH (trend p = 0.01), and p,p´-DDE (p trend = 0.04). No associations were observed between p,p´-DDE and Tanner stage 5 for genitalia growth or TV ≥ 20 mL.

Conclusions and relevance

Higher prepubertal serum HCB and βHCH concentrations were associated with a later age at attainment of sexual maturity. Only the highest quartile of serum p,p´-DDE was associated with later pubic hair maturation.

Citation

Lam T, Williams PL, Lee MM, Korrick SA, Birnbaum LS, Burns JS, Sergeyev O, Revich B, Altshul LM, Patterson DG Jr, Hauser R. 2015. Prepubertal serum concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and age at sexual maturity in Russian boys. Environ Health Perspect 123:1216–1221; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409022     

出生前后铅暴露对儿童智力的影响

[目的]研究出生前后不同时期儿童铅暴露及其父母基线血铅、母亲孕中期血铅等对儿童智力的影响。 [方法]采用前瞻性研究方法,从1996年开始在铅污染较严重的安徽省池州市贵池区进行了为期9年的流行病学调查。对新婚夫妇进行追踪观察至分娩,期间对夫妇进行基线调查,孕前观察,孕期随访,分娩情况记录,并定期观察随访其子代发育情况。共采集到210对夫妇基线血样,93份孕中血样,98份脐带血样。分别于2001年和2004年2次系统地对他们的子代进行体格检查和问卷调查,用中国-韦氏儿童智力量表(C-WYCSI)对儿童进行智力测试(2004年),并采集幼儿指血165份、儿童指血161份。采用PE-AA800原子吸收光谱仪进行血铅水平检测。[结果]①母亲基线血铅、父亲基线血铅、儿童血铅、婴幼儿血铅、脐带血铅和孕中血铅几何均数超过0．48 μmol/L(100μg/L)的样本所占比率分别为 32．38％、38．09％、45．30％、43．03％、10．20％和9．68％．②高血铅组儿童的动物下蛋、视觉分析、操作智商和总智商的得分显著低于正常血铅组儿童得分(P<0．05)。③儿童图片概括得分与其幼儿时期血铅水平(b=-0．187,P<0．05)、母亲基线血铅水平(6=-0．147,P<0．05)呈负相关;儿童领悟项目得分与父亲基线血铅水平呈负相关(6=-0．172,P<0．05);而儿童动物下蛋、视觉分析、操作智商得分均与儿童当前血铅水平呈负相关(P<0．05)。[结论]儿童出生前后不同时期铅暴露水平,特别是当前血铅水平对儿童智力有一定的不良影响,并以影响操作智商为主。     

1～36个月小于胎龄儿血清脂联素水平及其与胰岛素抵抗的相关性研究

目的 探讨1～36个月小于胎龄(SGA)儿血清脂联素水平及其与胰岛素抵抗(IR)的关系.方法 选择在本院产科分娩或新生儿科住院,出生日期为2001年12月至2004年12月(收集样本时年龄为1～36个月)并被确诊为SGA的新生儿纳入SGA组(n=71).选择同期在本院儿童保健门诊接受体检的适于胎龄(AGA)儿,出生日期与SGA组一致,纳入AGA组(n=31).观察两组个体1～36个月时体格生长情况,检测其空腹血糖(FPG)、空腹胰岛素(FINS)和血清脂联素水平,计算稳态模型胰岛素抵抗指数(Hcoma-IR)和稳态模型胰岛素敏感指数(Homa-IAI).两组均排除先天性疾病、遗传代谢病、脑瘫、新生儿缺氧缺血性脑病及结核、肝炎、肾病综合征等慢性疾病患儿(本研究遵循的程序符合本院人体试验委员会制定的伦理学标准,得到该委员会批准,分组征得受试对象监护人的知情同意,并与其签署临床研究知情同意书).结果 ①SGA组71例受试者中,25例因各种原因予以排除,最终符合纳入和排除标准的SGA组受试者为46例.②SGA组与AGA组受试者性别、年龄比较,差异无统计学意义(x2=0.377,P>0.05;x2=0.064,P>0.05).另外,两组受试者生后喂养方式及纳入时合并相关内科疾病等比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05).③SGA组与AGA组生长发育指标比较,除体重指数(BMI),差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)外,体重、体重Z积分、身高、身高Z积分、胸围等,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05).④SGA组和AGA组儿童的FPG,FINS,Homa-IR和Homa-IAI比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05).⑤血清脂联素与BMI呈负相关(r=-0.304,P<0.05),与年龄、性别、FPG及FINS水平无相关性(P>0.05).⑥SGA组与AGA组的血清脂联素水平比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),SGA组血清脂联素水平低于AGA组.⑦血清脂联素与体重、体重Z积分、身高、身高Z积分、BMI、年龄、FPG和FINS的多元线性回归分析显示,与BMI具相关性(P<0.05),是血清脂联素的影响因素,复相关系数R=0.336,确定系数R2=0.113.结论 SGA儿在1～36个月尚未出现IR,但血清脂联素水平降低,表明其出现IR的危险性高于AGA儿.     

Prenatal PCB exposure and thymus size at birth in neonates in Eastern Slovakia

BACKGROUND: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental toxicants, for which animal studies demonstrate immunotoxic effects, including thymic atrophy and suppressed immune responses; human investigations of similar end points are sparse. The thymus is essential for the differentiation and maturation of T-cell lymphocytes. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the association between prenatal PCB exposures and estimated thymus volume in infants from eastern Slovakia, a region where PCBs were produced until 1984. METHODS: Mothers were enrolled at delivery, and maternal blood samples were collected for analysis of 15 PCB congeners, p,p'-DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2'-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane], and p,p'-DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene]. Each mother was interviewed to obtain information on sociodemographic characteristics, past pregnancies, occupational history, medication history, and living environment. Neonatal thymus volume was estimated using ultrasound measurements on the third or fourth day after birth. Thymic index was calculated on 982 newborns from mothers with PCB measurements. We developed a predictive model of the natural log of the thymic index using multiple linear regression with covariates selected from the bivariate analyses. RESULTS: Prenatal PCB exposure was associated with a smaller thymic index at birth [beta= -36 (natural log-transformed; nanograms per gram lipids); p = 0.047]. District of residence and delivery also predicted thymic index. Male sex, later gestational age, larger birth weight z-score, and Roma ethnicity were associated with a larger thymic index, whereas respiratory illness was associated with a lower thymic index. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first evidence to date that PCB exposure in neonates is associated with a smaller thymic volume, suggesting possible impaired immunologic development.     

Postnatal Cadmium Exposure,Neurodevelopment, and Blood Pressure in Children at 2, 5, and 7 Years of Age

Background

Adverse health effects of cadmium in adults are well documented, but little is known about the neuropsychological effects of cadmium in children, and no studies of cadmium and blood pressure in children have been conducted.

Objective

We examined the potential effects of low-level cadmium exposure on intelligence quotient, neuropsychological functions, behavior, and blood pressure among children, using blood cadmium as a measure of exposure.

Methods

We used the data from a multicenter randomized clinical trial of lead-exposed children and analyzed blood cadmium concentrations using the whole blood samples collected when children were 2 years of age. We compared neuropsychological and behavioral scores at 2, 5, and 7 years of age by cadmium level and analyzed the relationship between blood cadmium levels at 2 years of age and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at 2, 5, and 7 years of age.

Results

The average cadmium concentration of these children was 0.21 μg/L, lower than for adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), but comparable to concentrations in children < 3 years of age in NHANES. Except for the California Verbal Learning Test for Children, there were no differences in test scores among children in different cadmium categories. For children with detectable pretreatment blood cadmium, after adjusting for a variety of covariates, general linear model analyses showed that at none of the three age points was the coefficient of cadmium on Mental Development Index or IQ statistically significant. Spline regression analysis suggested that behavioral problem scores at 5 and 7 years of age tended to increase with increasing blood cadmium, but the trend was not significant. We found no significant associations between blood cadmium levels and blood pressure.

Conclusion

We found no significant associations between background blood cadmium levels at 2 years of age and neurodevelopmental end points and blood pressure at 2, 5, and 7 years of age. The neuropsychological or hypertensive effects from longer background exposures to cadmium need further study.     

Child Care Predictors of Infant-Mother Attachment Security at Age 12 Months

This paper will present initial research outcomes from the child care component of the Sydney Family Development Project, a longitudinal study of emotional development in infancy and early childhood. The study discussed in this paper included 145 first-born children and their mothers. Interviews with mothers at infant-age 4 and 12 months provided details of children's experience of non-maternal child care. Security of infant-mother attachment was assessed in the Strange Situation procedure at 12 months. Results indicated that amount and type of child care were significant predictors of attachment security. The use of more than 10 hours per week of non-maternal care was associated with higher proportions of secure attachment. Children attending formal, government-regulated child care services also had a greater likelihood of being securely attached than those using informal, non-regulated child care. Discussion will focus on the implications of these results for policy and practice in the provision of infant care.     

Nativity and Serum Concentrations of Antioxidants in Mexican American Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

There is limited research on the effect of immigration on biological markers of nutrition among children of Mexican origin in the United States. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (1988–1994), on a national and representative sample of 1559 Mexican American children, 4–16 years of age, and assess the associations of country of birth with serum concentrations of carotenoids, vitamin A, and vitamin E. In multiple regression analyses, Mexico-born Mexican American children had significantly higher serum concentrations of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin A, and vitamin E than their counterparts who were born in the United States after adjustment for age, sex, poverty income ratio, level of education of family reference person, body mass index, total serum cholesterol, serum cotinine, total energy intake, and vitamin/mineral consumption. Our findings confirm evidence for a negative effect of immigration/acculturation on dietary quality in this population. These findings also suggest that immigrant Mexican families should be encouraged to maintain their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Prospective studies are needed to further assess the effects of immigration/acculturation on diet and other health outcomes in children of Mexican origin and immigrants.     

Measured Prenatal and Estimated Postnatal Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and ADHD-Related Behaviors in 8-Year-Old Children

Background

Epidemiologic studies of postnatal PCB exposure and behavior have not reported consistent evidence of adverse associations, possibly because of challenges in exposure estimation. We previously developed a pharmacokinetic model to improve estimation of children’s PCB exposure.

Objectives

We aimed to assess whether estimated serum PCB levels in infancy are associated with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)–related behaviors at 8 years of age among children whose cord serum PCB levels were previously shown to be associated with ADHD-related behaviors.

Methods

We used a pharmacokinetic model to estimate monthly serum polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)–153 levels in 441 infants (ages 1–12 months) based on parameters such as breastfeeding and cord serum PCB-153 levels. Behavior was evaluated at age 8 using the Conners’ Rating Scale for Teachers (CRS-T). Associations between PCB-153 levels and ADHD-related CRS-T indices were assessed using multivariable quantile regression at the 50th and 75th percentiles of CRS-T scores, where higher percentiles reflect more adverse behaviors.

Results

Cord serum PCB-153 levels (median, 38 ng/g lipids) were associated with ADHD-related behaviors, although statistical significance was observed with quantile regression models only at the 75th percentile. Associations with postnatal exposure estimates were attenuated. For example, hyperactive-impulsive behavior scores at age 8 years were 0.9 points (95% CI: 0.2, 2.5), 0.5 points (95% CI: 0.3, 2.3), and 0.3 points (95% CI: –0.2, 1.5) higher in association with interquartile range increases in serum PCB-153 at birth, 2 months, and 12 months of age, respectively.

Conclusions

Associations between estimated postnatal PCB-153 exposures and ADHD-related behaviors at 8 years of age were weaker than associations with PCB-153 concentrations measured in cord serum at birth.

Citation

Verner MA, Hart JE, Sagiv SK, Bellinger DC, Altshul LM, Korrick SA. 2015. Measured prenatal and estimated postnatal levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and ADHD-related behaviors in 8-year-old children. Environ Health Perspect 123:888–894; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408084     

Serum Concentrations of Antibodies Against Vaccine Toxoids in Children Exposed Perinatally to Immunotoxicants

Background

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may cause immunotoxic effects, but the detailed dose–response relationship and possible vulnerable time windows of exposure are uncertain. In this study we applied serum concentrations of specific antibodies against childhood vaccines as sentinels of immunotoxicity.

Objectives

The main objective was to assess the possible dependence of antibody concentrations against diphtheria and tetanus toxoids in children with regard to prenatal and postnatal PCB exposures.

Methods

From a cohort of 656 singleton births formed in the Faroe Islands during 1999–2001, children were invited for examination with assessment of serum antibody concentrations at 5 years (before and after a booster vaccination) and at 7 years of age. Total PCB concentrations were determined in serum from ages 5 and 7 years, and data were also available on PCB concentrations in maternal pregnancy serum, maternal milk, and, for a subgroup, the child’s serum at 18 months of age.

Results

A total of 587 children participated in the examinations at ages 5 and/or 7 years. At age 5 years, before the booster vaccination, the antidiphtheria antibody concentration was inversely associated with PCB concentrations in milk and 18-month serum. Results obtained 2 years later showed an inverse association of concentrations of antibodies against both toxoids with PCB concentrations at 18 months of age. The strongest associations suggested a decrease in the antibody concentration by about 20% for each doubling in PCB exposure. At age 5 years, the odds of an antidiphtheria antibody concentration below a clinically protective level of 0.1 IU/L increased by about 30% for a doubling in PCB in milk and 18-month serum.

Conclusions

Developmental PCB exposure is associated with immunotoxic effects on serum concentrations of specific antibodies against diphtheria and tetanus vaccinations. The immune system development during the first years of life appears to be particularly vulnerable to this exposure.     

Prenatal Exposure to Phthalate Esters and Behavioral Syndromes in Children at 8 Years of Age: Taiwan Maternal and Infant Cohort Study

Background: Few studies have shown an association between prenatal phthalate exposure and adverse effects on neurodevelopment and behavior in young children.Objectives: We aimed to assess the relationship between prenatal exposure to phthalate esters and behavior syndromes in children at 8 years of age.Methods: A total of 122 mother–child pairs from the general population in central Taiwan were studied from 2000 to 2009. Mono-methyl phthalate (MMP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), and three di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites—mono-2-ethylhexyl, mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl, and mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalates (MEHP, MEHHP, and MEOHP)—were measured in maternal urine collected during the third trimester of pregnancy using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry. Behavioral syndromes of children at 8 years of age were evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Associations between log₁₀-transformed creatinine-corrected phthalate concentrations and standardized scores of the CBCL were estimated using linear regression models or multinomial logistic regressions with adjustments for potential confounders.Results: Externalizing problem scores were significantly higher in association with a 1-unit increase in log₁₀-transformed creatinine-corrected concentrations of maternal MBP (β = 4.29; 95% CI: 0.59, 7.99), MEOHP (β = 3.74; 95% CI: 1.33, 6.15), and MEHP (β = 4.28 ; 95% CI: 0.03, 8.26) after adjusting for the child’s sex, intelligence, and family income. Meanwhile, MBP and MEOHP were significantly associated with Delinquent Behavior and Aggressive Behavior scores. The same pattern was found for borderline and/or clinical ranges.Conclusions: Our findings suggest positive associations between maternal DEHP and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) exposure and externalizing domain behavior problems in 8-year-old children.Citation: Lien YJ, Ku HY, Su PH, Chen SJ, Chen HY, Liao PC, Chen WJ, Wang SL. 2015. Prenatal exposure to phthalate esters and behavioral syndromes in children at 8 years of age: Taiwan Maternal and Infant Cohort Study. Environ Health Perspect 123:95–100; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307154     

小儿肾小球疾病血清微量元素测定与分析

采用原子吸收分光光度法,测定了７８ 例肾小球疾病患儿血清铜、锌、铁、镁４ 种元素。结果显示,单纯性肾病组、肾炎性肾病组、紫癜性肾病组及肾炎组血清锌均显著低于正常组（ Ｐ＜ ００５）,血清铁、镁与正常组比较无显著差异。单纯性肾病组,肾炎性肾病组血清铜显著低于正常组（ Ｐ＜ ００５）。提示血清铜、锌、铁、镁含量的变化与疾病发生和疾病状态有关。     

Fruit Pouch Consumption and Dietary Patterns Related to BMIz at 18 Months of Age

Concerns have been raised that an overconsumption of baby food fruit pouches among toddlers might increase the risk of childhood obesity. This study aimed to quantify the consumption of fruit pouches and other fruit containing food products and to explore potential correlations between the consumption of these products and body-mass index z-score (BMIz) at 18 months, taking other predictive factors into consideration. The study was based on 1499 children and one-month-recall food frequency questionnaires from the Swedish population-based birth cohort NorthPop. Anthropometric outcome data were retrieved from child health care records. BMIz at 18 months of age was correlated to maternal BMI and gestational weight gain and inversely correlated to fruit juice consumption and breastfeeding. BMIz at 18 months of age was not correlated to consumption of fruit pouches, sugar-sweetened beverages, whole fruit or milk cereal drink. Overweight at 18 months of age was correlated to maternal BMI and inversely correlated to breastfeeding duration. To our knowledge, this is the first study that investigates possible associations between baby food fruit pouch consumption and overweight in toddlers. We found that moderate fruit pouch consumption is not associated with excess weight at 18 months of age.     

Early Nutrition during Hospitalization in Relation to Bone Health in Preterm Infants at Term Age and Six Months Corrected Age

Aim: to evaluate the potential association of macronutrient intake in the first postnatal weeks on bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) in extremely and very preterm infants. Methods: fifty-eight extremely and very preterm infants were included. Daily macronutrient intake was calculated in g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ from birth up to 36 weeks postmenstrual age. A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry whole body scan was used to assess BMC and BMD in preterm infants at term corrected age (TCA) and six months corrected age (CA). Results: fat intake (g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) in the first four postnatal weeks was positively associated with BMC and BMD at TCA. At six months CA, protein and fat intake (g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) in the first weeks of life were both individual predictors for BMD. Fat intake (g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) in the first four postnatal weeks was significantly associated with BMC at six months CA. Conclusion: the association of macronutrient intake in the first postnatal weeks on BMC or BMD, at TCA and six months CA, suggest that early nutritional intervention immediately after birth and during early infancy is important for bone health in the first months of life.     

Effects of Prenatal Care on Child Health at Age 5

The broad goal of contemporary prenatal care is to promote the health of the mother, child, and family through the pregnancy, delivery, and the child’s development. Although the vast majority of mothers giving birth in developed countries receive prenatal care, past research has not found compelling evidence that early or adequate prenatal care has favorable effects on birth outcomes. It is possible that prenatal care confers health benefits to the child that do not become apparent until after the perinatal period. Using data from a national urban birth cohort study in the US, we estimate the effects of prenatal care on four markers of child health at age 5—maternal-reported health status, asthma diagnosis, overweight, and height. Prenatal care, defined a number of different ways, does not appear to have any effect on the outcomes examined. The findings are robust and suggest that routine health care encounters during the prenatal period could potentially be used more effectively to enhance children’s health trajectories. However, future research is needed to explore the effects of prenatal care on additional child health and developmental outcomes as well as the effects of preconceptional and maternal lifetime healthcare on child health.     

Early Infant Formula Feeding Impacts Urinary Metabolite Profile at 3 Months of Age

There is a growing consensus that nutritional programming may persist and influence risk for several chronic diseases in adulthood. In the present study, we used urinary metabolic analysis in assessing diet effects on early-life metabolism. Urine samples from healthy three-month-old infants fed human milk (HM; n = 93), cow’s milk-based infant formula [MF; n = 80], or soy protein-based infant formula (SF; n = 76) were analyzed with an untargeted metabolomics approach using GC-TOF MS. PLS-DA and ANOVA analyses were performed using MetaboAnalyst (v4.0). A total of 150 metabolites differed significantly among the feeding groups, including dietary-specific patterns of urinary metabolites of sugars, sugar alcohols, amino acids, and polyphenols. Urinary metabolites may mirror the infant’s overall metabolism and serve as a noninvasive tool to examine the neonatal effects of diet on early-infant metabolism.     

Prenatal and Postnatal Choline Supplementation in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is common and represents a significant public health burden, yet very few interventions have been tested in FASD. Cognitive deficits are core features of FASD, ranging from broad intellectual impairment to selective problems in attention, executive functioning, memory, visual–perceptual/motor skills, social cognition, and academics. One potential intervention for the cognitive impairments associated with FASD is the essential nutrient choline, which is known to have numerous direct effects on brain and cognition in both typical and atypical development. We provide a summary of the literature supporting the use of choline as a neurodevelopmental intervention in those affected by prenatal alcohol. We first discuss how alcohol interferes with normal brain development. We then provide a comprehensive overview of the nutrient choline and discuss its role in typical brain development and its application in the optimization of brain development following early insult. Next, we review the preclinical literature that provides evidence of choline’s potential as an intervention following alcohol exposure. Then, we review a handful of existing human studies of choline supplementation in FASD. Lastly, we conclude with a review of practical considerations in choline supplementation, including dose, formulation, and feasibility in children.     

Toxicokinetic Modeling of Persistent Organic Pollutant Levels in Blood from Birth to 45 Months of Age in Longitudinal Birth Cohort Studies

Background: Despite experimental evidence that lactational exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can impact health, results from epidemiologic studies are inconclusive. Inconsistency across studies may reflect the inability of current methods to estimate children’s blood levels during specific periods of susceptibility.Objectives: We developed a toxicokinetic model to simulate blood POP levels in children from two longitudinal birth cohorts and aimed to validate it against blood levels measured at 6, 16, and 45 months of age.Methods: The model consisted of a maternal and a child lipid compartment connected through placental diffusion and breastfeeding. Simulations were carried out based on individual physiologic parameters; duration of breastfeeding; and levels of POPs measured in maternal blood at delivery, cord blood, or breast milk. Model validity was assessed through regression analyses of simulated against measured blood levels.Results: Simulated levels explained between 10% and 83% of measured blood levels depending on the cohort, the compound, the sample used to simulate children’s blood levels, and child’s age when blood levels were measured. Model accuracy was highest for estimated blood POP levels at 6 months based on maternal or cord blood levels. However, loss in model precision between the 6th and the 45th month was small for most compounds.Conclusions: Our validated toxicokinetic model can be used to estimate children’s blood POP levels in early to mid-childhood. Estimates can be used in epidemiologic studies to evaluate the impact of exposure during hypothesized postnatal periods of susceptibility on health.     

The Influence of Maternal Acculturation on Child Body Mass Index at Age 24 Months

Objective

Obesity rates in preschool-aged children are greatest among Latinos. Studies of the relationship of acculturation to obesity among Latino immigrants have primarily focused on adults and adolescents. We examined the influence of maternal acculturation on child body mass index (BMI) at age 24 and 36 months among predominantly Latino, low-income mother-child pairs enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

Design and methods

Maternal characteristics were obtained from interviewer-administered surveys conducted in English or Spanish at 6 to 20 weeks postpartum among 679 participants in a randomized controlled trial of a health promotion intervention in two urban areas in the Northeast. Acculturation measures included: nativity (born in the United States vs foreign born), parents' nativity, years of US residence (<8 years vs ≥8 years), and exclusive use of native language vs nonexclusive use (mixed or English only). Following repeated mailings and telephone calls requesting permission to obtain their child's height and weight from Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children records, informed consent was obtained from 108 mothers. Multivariable linear regression models of maternal acculturation and child BMI z score at age 24 months and age 36 months were estimated among all mother-child pairs and within immigrant-only mother-child pairs, adjusting for relevant maternal characteristics.

Results

At age 24 months, children of mothers with exclusive use of native language had higher BMI z scores compared to children of mothers with nonexclusive use among 91 mother-child pairs (β=.74, P=0.02) and within 63 immigrant-only mother-child pairs (β=.92, P=0.009).

Conclusions

Exclusive use of native language was associated with greater BMI in children as young as age 24 months. Future research should examine the mechanisms by which mothers' language acculturation may affect proximal determinants of energy balance in preschool children, including breastfeeding practices, dietary intake, and physical activity.