Mp. Longnecker et al., Association between maternal serum concentration of the DDT metabolite DDEand preterm and small-for-gestational-age babies at birth, LANCET, 358(9276), 2001, pp. 110-114
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Background DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2.2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane) is highly e
ffective against most malaria-transmitting mosquitoes and is being widely u
sed in malaria-endemic areas. The metabolite, DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-c
hlorophenyl)ethylene), has been linked to preterm birth in small studies, b
ut these findings are inconclusive. Our aim was to investigate the associat
ion between DDE exposure and preterm birth.
Methods Our study was based on the US Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP)
. From this study we selected a subset of more than 44 000 eligible childre
n born between 1959 and 1966 and measured the DDE concentration in their mo
thers' serum samples stored during pregnancy. Complete data were available
for 2380 children, of whom 361 were born preterm and 221 were small-for-ges
tational age.
Findings The median maternal DDE concentration was 25 mug/L (range 3-178)-s
everal fold higher than current US concentrations. The adjusted odds ratios
(OR) of preterm birth increased steadily with increasing concentrations of
serum DDE (ORs=1, 1.5, 1.6, 2.5, 3.1; trend p<0.0001). Adjusted odds of sm
all-for-gestational-age also increased, but less consistently (ORs=1, 1.9,
1.7, 1.6, 2.6; trend p=0.04). After excluding preterm births, the associati
on of DDE with small-for-gestational-age remained.
Interpretation The findings strongly suggest that DDT use increases preterm
births, which is a major contributor to infant mortality. If this associat
ion is causal, it should be included in any assessment of the costs and ben
efits of vector control with DDT.