Early-Life Environmental Influences on Growth

Abstract

This chapter describes the evidence of early-life environmental influences on growth and development. The most environmental influences discussed include the exposure to pesticides, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), metals, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The exposure outcome focused includes obesity, asthma, allergies, neurodevelopmental disorders, during gestation, infancy and childhood, and/or reproductive development later in life. EDCs have been reported to act as an agonist or antagonists of the estrogen receptor (ER), androgen receptor (AR), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Other mechanisms such as oxidative stress and DNA alterations and inflammation also play important roles in effect of the early exposure to environmental contaminants on growth and development. In this chapter, the combined effect of all the compounds present in the human body was also emphasized to be considered for risk assessment.