Average Newborn Weight Decreased by Environmental Contaminants

A new study published in the July 2009 issue of Epidemiology shows that environmental contaminants diminish the role of male hormones in the fetus.   A database of more than five million children born in Canada between 1981 and 2003 was studied by researchers from Canada’s Public Health Agency.

The study reports:
“Using statistical methods that control for changes over time of mother’s age and parity, the investigators effectively show a sustained decrease in birth weight differences between boys and girls, which supports the hypothesis of growing endocrine disruption related to environmental contaminants. Contaminants found in plastic materials represent plausible candidates, since they are known to diminish the action of male hormones.
“Our study underlines the importance of probing the impact of environmental contaminants on the health of mothers and fetuses and on the reproductive potential of future generations,” says lead researcher Dr. Guy Van Vliet, a pediatric endocrinologist and investigator at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and a professor at the Department of Pediatrics of the Université de Montréal.”

The full story is available in a press release from The University of Montreal:
http://www.nouvelles.umontreal.ca/udem-news/press-releases/newborn-weights-affected-by-environmental-contaminants.html