IN UTERO EXPOSURE TO PERSISTANT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPS) IN GIRLS: RELATIONSHIPS TO GROWTH, PUBERTAL DEVELOPMENT AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS: NEW DATA

Background and Aims:POPs have been shown to affect the endocrine system, particularly during critical windows of development. We examined the effect of in utero exposure to two different classes of POPs, polyfluoroalkylcompounds (PFCs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) on girls’ childhood growth and pubertal development. The study of BFRs includes follow-up into the reproductive years. Methods: The study of PFCs is a nested case control study within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Serum samples collected during pregnancy from mothers of earlier-maturing girls (n=218) and later-maturing girls (n=230) were assayed for PFCs by solid-phase extraction coupled to isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The study of BFRs is a cohort study of Michigan residents who consumed contaminated meat and dairy products as a result of an industrial accident. Serum samples from women were assayed for BFRs by gas chromatography with electron capture...