Surabhi Shah1, Kyoung Sook Jeong2, Hyesook Park3, Yun-Chul Hong4, Yangho Kim5, Byungmi Kim6, Namsoo Chang7, Suejin Kim8, Yeni Kim9, Bung-Nyun Kim10, Hojang Kwon11, Sanghyuk Bae12, Hwan-Cheol Kim13, Jong-Han Leem13, Eun-Kyo Park1, Hyunjoo Joo11, Bohyun Park3, Mina Ha11, Eunhee Ha14. 1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Republic of Korea. 3. Department of Preventive Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 4. Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 5. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. 6. Division of Cancer Prevention & Early Detection, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Republic of Korea. 7. Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 8. Humidifier Disinfectant Health Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, Republic of Korea. 9. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Dongguk University International Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea. 10. Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 11. Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea. 12. Department of Preventive Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 13. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea; Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Republic of Korea. 14. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: eunheeha@ewha.ac.kr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Mothers and Children's Environmental Health study (MOCEH) is a multi-centric prospective birth cohort study investigating effects of various environmental pollutants like heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, air pollutants, nutrition and lifestyle on birth outcomes, growth and development, health and disease of children. In this study, we report all the outcomes from the MOCEH study describing the different environmental pollutants affecting children's health and disease. METHODS: In MOCEH study, 1,751 pregnant women in their first trimester were recruited at 3 centers from 2006 to 2010 in South Korea. The children were followed from birth up to 6 years. Information on health outcomes of children including birth parameters, demographic characteristics, medical and child-rearing history, and nutritional status, were repeatedly obtained through the follow-ups by questionnaires administration, clinical evaluation, and biological specimen collection and measurements. Prenatal and postnatal measurement in biospecimen, i.e., lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese, 1-hydroxypyrene, 2-naphthol, malonadialdehyde, hippuric acid, bisphenol A and phthalate metabolites, and measurement in air samples, i.e., particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and total volatile organic compounds were performed. RESULTS: The results show the adverse effect of prenatal exposure to heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium on children's physical, cognitive and neurobehavioral development. Exposure to endocrine disruptors, air pollution, second hand smoke, and mother's lifestyle during pregnancy affects children's growth and development. We also identified specific window periods of exposure of pollutants significantly related to children's health outcomes. CONCLUSION: The collective results from MOCEH study provide strong scientific evidence that exposures to prenatal and postnatal environmental pollutants have a negative effect on growth and development of children, which will be useful in implementing effective national policy to improve children's environmental health.
BACKGROUND: The Mothers and Children's Environmental Health study (MOCEH) is a multi-centric prospective birth cohort study investigating effects of various environmental pollutants like heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, air pollutants, nutrition and lifestyle on birth outcomes, growth and development, health and disease of children. In this study, we report all the outcomes from the MOCEH study describing the different environmental pollutants affecting children's health and disease. METHODS: In MOCEH study, 1,751 pregnant women in their first trimester were recruited at 3 centers from 2006 to 2010 in South Korea. The children were followed from birth up to 6 years. Information on health outcomes of children including birth parameters, demographic characteristics, medical and child-rearing history, and nutritional status, were repeatedly obtained through the follow-ups by questionnaires administration, clinical evaluation, and biological specimen collection and measurements. Prenatal and postnatal measurement in biospecimen, i.e., lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese, 1-hydroxypyrene, 2-naphthol, malonadialdehyde, hippuric acid, bisphenol A and phthalate metabolites, and measurement in air samples, i.e., particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and total volatile organic compounds were performed. RESULTS: The results show the adverse effect of prenatal exposure to heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium on children's physical, cognitive and neurobehavioral development. Exposure to endocrine disruptors, air pollution, second hand smoke, and mother's lifestyle during pregnancy affects children's growth and development. We also identified specific window periods of exposure of pollutants significantly related to children's health outcomes. CONCLUSION: The collective results from MOCEH study provide strong scientific evidence that exposures to prenatal and postnatal environmental pollutants have a negative effect on growth and development of children, which will be useful in implementing effective national policy to improve children's environmental health.
Authors: Agostino Di Ciaula; Patrizia Gentilini; Giusy Diella; Marco Lopuzzo; Ruggero Ridolfi Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-03-16 Impact factor: 3.390