Johns Hopkins National Children's Study Center

The Baltimore THREE Study: Tracking Health Related to Environmental Exposures

During development, fetuses are especially vulnerable to a broad array of environmental exposures. The THREE Study is measuring several of these exposures in umbilical cord blood, to give an idea of what the fetus' exposure was like in utero. In an ongoing research project conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Hospital, researchers collected umbilical cord blood and tissue samples from approximately 300 babies born during a six-month period in 2004-2005.

Serum from these samples was prepared and stored at the Bloomberg School. Serum from these samples has been analyzed by collaborators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC) and by a certified commercial laboratory.

The principal investigators on the study are Lynn R. Goldman, Frank Witter and Rolf Halden. Co-investigators are Julie Herbstman, Ben Apelberg and David Colquhoun. Student Investigators are PhD candidates Ellen Wells, Anna Pollack and Gila Neta.

Some immediate health outcomes including birth weight, gestational age, and other indicators of growth and development are being examined to see if these indices are related to the levels of chemicals in the cord blood.

While exposure to environmental chemicals in utero may have immediate health effects, there is growing evidence that early exposures may also be linked to chronic diseases in adulthood, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Several related research questions are currently under investigation:

• Assessing fetal exposure to persistent biocides, including triclocarban and triclosan.
• Umbilical cord serum protein changes in relation to maternal smoking
• Examine birth outcomes in association with decreases in IGF-1 in the presence of common environmental chemical exposures.

The THREE Study is interested in measuring a variety of other environmental exposures that may have immediate and/or long term effects on the health of the infant.

These exposures include:

• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Heavy metals, including lead and mercury
• Persistent and non-persistent pesticides
• Other contaminants from drinking water sources

Study News

PFOA and PFOS Detected in Newborns - April 24, 2007

Several publications have resulted from this research. Reprints can be downloaded below.

Global Screening of Human Cord Blood Proteomes for Biomarkers of Toxic Exposure and Effect (PDF)

Thyroid and Pregnancy: Maternal, Infant, and Delivery Factors Associated with Neonatal Thyroid Hormone Status (PDF)

Determinants of Prenatal Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in an Urban Population (PDF)

Determinants of Fetal Exposure to Polyfluoroalkyl Compounds in Baltimore, Maryland (PDF)

Cord Serum Concentrations of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in Relation to Weight and Size at Birth (PDF)

To be put on our mailing list to be notified when THREE Study projects are going to press, send an email to Ruth Quinn. Include your name, email address, phone number, area of interest, and specialty if applicable.

Public Affairs media contact for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Tim Parsons at paffairs@jhsph.edu.

References:

This research is being conducted under SOM IRB approved protocol 04-04-22-02.