Effect Of Diet and Other Early Exposures on Child Health and Development

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

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Abstract

Diet and other early exposures may affect child development and the risk of several chronic diseases, but additional research is needed. The current research described in this catch-all project comprises one project, described below. We examined the association of gestational diabetes with subsequent risk of hypospadias and cryptorchidism in offspring born in the Collaborative Perinatal Project. No association was found, which may be because the metabolic disturbances due to gestational diabetes occur after the period of fetal development when the fetus is most susceptible to environmental influences. A report was published. We examined in utero exposure to maternal pharmacologic hormone use in pregnancy in relation to obesity in childhood. Pregnant women who took diethylstilbestrol or oral contraceptives during specific periods of pregnancy were more likely to have obese children. The findings provide general support for the obesogens hypothesis. A report is in press.