Endocrine Disrupters and Child Health

Possible developmental early effects of endocrine disrupters on child health

This 2012 publication by WHO was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Publisher: WHO; ISBN: 978 92 4 150376 1, 2012.

The present document is a short summary of the current knowledge of the effects of endocrine disrupters on child health. The main focus is on congenital disorders, cryptorchidism and hypospadias, which have an endocrine connection, on thyroid hormone-related problems, and on puberty. There is ample evidence of endocrine disruption in wildlife, and the mechanisms of action of endocrine disrupters have been elucidated in experimental animals, but there is limited knowledge of the association of human disorders with exposure to endocrine disrupters. Accumulating data suggest that many adult diseases have fetal origins, but the causes have remained unexplained. Improving fetal and child health will influence the whole life of an individual and improve the wellbeing of our society.

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