Prenatal exposure to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and reproductive effects in a multicentre birth cohort in Spain

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the possible association between birth size or gestational length and maternal serum concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in a population exposed to background levels.

Methods: A total of 1568 mother-child pairs recruited in three Spanish areas (INMA Project) from 2004 to 2008 participated in the study. Multivariate analysis was performed between birth weight and length, weeks of gestation, preterm birth or small for gestational age and HCB concentrations in maternal serum.

Results: The median concentration of HCB was 45.45 ng/g lipids. No association was found between HCB exposure levels and birth weight (β: -50.42 [-109.88; 9.04]), birth length (β: -0.07 [-0.32; 0.18]), gestation age (HR: 1.07 [0.94; 1.22]), small for gestational age (OR: 0.95 [0.56; 1.61]) and preterm birth (OR: 0.60 [0.29; 1.28]). Results remain similar after adjustment for other organochlorines.

Conclusion: Our findings support the idea that exposure to low levels of HCB does not affect the intrauterine growth nor the duration of gestation.

Keywords: 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethylene; BMI; Birth size; GC-ECD; GC-MSD; GC-NICI-MS; Gestation length; HCB; INMA; Infant and the Environment; LMP; OCs; PCB; Pregnancy; SGA; body mass index; gas chromatograph–electron capture detector; gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer detector; gas chromatograph–negative ion chemical ionization–mass spectrometry; hexachlorobenzene; last menstrual period; organochlorine compounds; p,p′-DDE; polychlorinated biphenyls; small for gestational age.