Perinatal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Weight Gain Trajectory in Children: Data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) cohort

Overweight and obese children are at an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in their life. The reasons for the rapid increase in the rates of obesity are not well elucidated and it is thought that genetics and nutritional changes do not fully explain this trend but rather it is a complex interplay among individual behaviors, the built environment, and possibly exposures to certain synthetic chemicals that may disrupt energy balance. In particular, exposure to environmental chemicals during the fetal development has been hypothesized to contribute to the rising rates of childhood obesity. We will investigate whether exposure to certain environmental chemicals during the perinatal period is associated with weight gain in children. To achieve this, we will use data already collected and available for analysis, pertaining to children from different provinces in Canada. These children have been followed up from birth until approximately 5 years of age to assess their weight.