Prenatal WTC Chemical Exposures, Birth Outcomes and Cardiometabolic Risks

Details

• Personal Author:
  Herbstman J ; Trasande L
• Description:
  Perinatal exposure to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster has been associated with adverse birth outcomes. However, little is known about the long-term consequences of exposures in this population, who are now teenagers. Intrauterine growth restriction has long been known to produce adverse effects on neurodevelopment, and the "thrifty phenotype" hypothesis first described by Barker et al, suggests that early life adaptations to poor in utero exposures can produce a profile of maladaptation ex utero in which the ability to acquire energy results in increased adiposity beginning in childhood and cardiovascular risks later in life. If cardiometabolic consequences are identified in children born to women living or working in lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001, the present represents a relatively narrow opportunity for proactive medication and behavioral modification to prevent serious consequences as these children age into adulthood. The premise that adverse neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic consequences could arise from prenatal exposure to the disaster, is grounded in studies that have documented highly adverse and synergistic WTC-related chemical and psychosocial exposures. The better studied psychologically stressful exposures were common in pregnant women living/working near the site, and post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with decrements in head circumference in the offspring. However, the disaster also released large amounts of particulate matter, heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated dibenzo-p dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and perfluorinated chemicals (PFAS), which have been associated with adverse birth outcomes, neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic risks later in life. Studies have examined and failed to detect differences in blood mercury and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) among women living/working near the site, though women in their second half of pregnancy on September 11,2001 did have children with higher cord blood PBDEs. Yet, these studies did not include a comparison group, limiting generalizability. A newer concern has arisen from our NIOSH-funded study (U01OH01394 and 01714) which most recently identified increases in levels of multiple PFAS among postnatally-exposed children participating in the WTC Health Registry compared to a socio demographically matched group, and increases in PFAS among those who were exposed sub-chronically to dust in their homes. This was the first study to examine PFAS in postnatally-exposed youth, and raises new concerns about adverse birth, neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic outcomes among youth exposed in utero. Another research gap is represented by the reality that no study has examined the potential and differential effects of psychological and chemical exposures and their possible interaction in contributing to adverse effects on later child health. Furthermore, adolescence is well-known to be a period when cardiometabolic issues emerge, adding timeliness to the proposed study. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Energy Metabolism Occupational Health Pregnancy Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks
• Keywords:
  Adolescents Cardiovascular Disease Metabolic Effects Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances PFAS Prenatal Exposure Psychological Stress World Trade Center WTC
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Final Cooperative Agreement Report
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-25
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069729
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U01-OH-011299, 2024 Jan; :1-25
• Contact Point Address:
  Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, New York University School of Medicine, One Park Avenue 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10016
• Email:
  Leonardo.trasande@nyumc.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  New York University School of Medicine
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20170701
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20210630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a43794e9e4fa2de660020f23ecf560fb070e9ec138bfd9b1f560567ef6b9c2f3d671ef5f0dbaee84271101199eaa60b7d11a9fae969e9fd8bc637645fc78a6ee
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219257/cdc_219257_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.25 MB ]