
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.
Sources and more information
- Flickr album DES and EDCs Research.
- Endocrine disrupters and child health, Possible developmental early effects of endocrine disrupters on child health, WHO, 2012.
- Download the full PDF.
- Our Endocrine Disruptors video playlist and posts tagged EDCs.