Prenatal exposure to p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT in relation to lower respiratory tract infections in boys from a highly exposed area of Mexico.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Prenatal exposure to 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p'-DDE), the major breakdown product of DDT, has been associated with recurrent lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants. However, epidemiological investigations are limited.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the association of prenatal exposure to p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT with the occurrence of LRTI in boys from Chiapas, a highly exposed area of Mexico.

METHODS:

We analyzed data from 747 singleton boys whose prenatal exposure to p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT was determined in maternal serum drawn at delivery (2002-2003). LRTI (i.e., pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and other illness of the bronchi) experienced by the children were reported by their mothers during in-person interviews. The median age of the children when they were last seen was 21.4 months (quartiles 19.1 and 25.3 months).

RESULTS:

Median exposure to p,p'-DDE in this population was higher (2.7 µg/g lipid) than recent U.S. levels (0.20 µg/g). There were 0.19 episodes of LRTI per child-year. After adjusting for potential confounders, children in the highest category of p,p'-DDE (>9.00 µg/g) exposure compared to those in the lowest (≤ 3.00 µg/g) had an adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) of LRTI of 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-1.46). The corresponding aIRR for p,p'-DDT (≥ 2.00 µg/g compared to ≤ 0.25 µg/g) was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.30-1.39).

CONCLUSION:

An association of prenatal exposure to p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT with LRTI during childhood was not supported in this population with relatively high levels of exposure.

• Authors: Lea A Cupul-Uicab, Efraín A Terrazas-Medina, Mauricio Hernández-Ávila, Matthew P Longnecker
• Journal: Environmental research (Environ Res) Vol. 132 Pg. 19-23 (Jul 2014) ISSN: 1096-0953 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 24742723 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene
• DDT

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Bronchitis (chemically induced, epidemiology)
• Child, Preschool
• DDT (adverse effects)
• Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene (adverse effects)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Infant
• Male
• Mexico (epidemiology)
• Pneumonia (chemically induced, epidemiology)
• Pregnancy
• Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
• Young Adult