The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #51103

Frederica Perera, DrPH, Columbia Center for Children's Enviornmental Health, Columbia University School of Public Health, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, (212) 304-7277, fpp1@columbia.edu, Sally Ann Lederman, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10029-6574, and Virginia Rauh, ScD, Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue, B-116, New York, NY 10032.

The World Trade Center (WTC) Pregnancy Study assesses the in utero growth and development of children whose mothers were exposed to airborne pollutants released by the WTC collapse and fires. The study examines biomarkers of exposure to a battery of environmental mutagens and carcinogens that have been linked with developmental effects in newborns. The substances being measured in maternal and infant blood or urine include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, furans, lead, cadmium and mercury. A total of 300 women and their infants will comprise the final sample, consisting of 150 exposed and 150 unexposed pregnant women. Participants are enrolled when they present for delivery to one of the four participating hospitals in lower Manhattan. Cord blood is taken at delivery and maternal blood and urine, and newborn feces are taken the day after delivery. The mother is also interviewed regarding residential history, workplace history, activities during the period of the WTC fires, level of demoralization or nonspecific distress, and lifestyle exposures that might affect birth outcomes. Information about the mother’s health during pregnancy and about the size of the newborn (weight, length, head circumference), length of gestation at the time of delivery, and other relevant biomedical data are taken from the medical records. The mother’s home contact information is also collected. These data will enable us to examine the relationships between maternal and fetal exposure to the toxic air pollutants and between exposure and fetal growth and development.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess the in utero growth and development of children whose mothers were exposed to airborne pollutants released by the WTC collapse.
• Identify biomarkers of exposure to a batery of enviornmental mutagens and carcinogens that have been linked with developmental effects in newborns.
• Examine the relationships between maternal and fetal exposure to the toxic air pollutants and between exposure and fetal growth and development.

Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.