PREGNANCY-RELATED CHANGES IN FAT MASS AND TOTAL DDT IN BREAST-MILK AND MATERNAL ADIPOSE-TISSUE

Background: Changes in body fat mass during pregnancy and its effects on total DDT concentration i.e. the, sum of pp'-DDT (pp'-dichlorodiphe nyltrichloroethane), and pp'-DDE (pp'-dichlorophenyldichloroethylene), in maternal milk and abdominal fat were studied in humans. Methods: F orty mothers that delivered by Caesarean section and chose to breast f eed consented in providing samples (abdominal fat and breast milk) for determination of organochlorine pesticides. Constitutional variables, such as the number of children, and estimators of body fat mass, base d on height and body weight (before and after pregnancy), were measure d. Results: Body mass index before and after pregnancy, as well as per cent change in body weight, showed no significant difference in total DDT concentration in abdominal fat or breast milk. The only variable t o significantly affect either body load of pesticides (abdominal fat) or its excretion (milk fat) was the number of children (p = 0.0117 and p = 0.0324, respectively). Correlation coefficients between DDT (in a dipose tissue and milli fat) and variables related to body fatness (bo dy mass index) were low and not significant. However, a close relation ship was found between total DDT in adipose tissue and milk fat (r = 0 .709; p = 0.0001).