Duisburg Birth Cohort Study

The Duisburg Birth Cohort Study is a prospective-longitudinal study that aims to investigate the long-term effects of prenatal low-dose exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on child and adolescence development. The study has been running since the year 1999 and mother-child pairs have been investigated at multiple time points. The most recent follow-up was conducted between 2017 and 2018, when the adolescents were between 15 and 17 years old. In every follow-up, several developmental (e.g. birth parameters, pubertal timing, anthropometric measures) and psychological traits (e.g. social cognitive skills, sex-typical behavior, neuropsychological functioning) were investigated. At the moment, the study focuses on the role of DNA methylation patterns in mediating the long-term consequences of EDC exposure on developmental outcomes.

Collaborators Prof Dr. Jörn Walter, Prof. Dr. Jan Hengstler

Contact Dr. Katharina Mattonet

Associated Publications

Mattonet, K., Nowack-Weyers, N., Vogel, V., Moser, D., Tierling, S., Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., ... & Kumsta, R. (2021). Prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals is associated with altered DNA methylation in cord blood. Epigenetics, 1-18.

Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Wittsiepe, J., Wald, K., Koch, H. M., & Wilhelm, M. (2017). Pre-pubertal exposure with phthalates and bisphenol A and pubertal development. PLOS ONE, 12(11), e0187922.

Neugebauer, J., Wittsiepe, J., Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Schöneck, N., Schölmerich, A., & Wilhelm, M. (2015). The influence of low level pre- and perinatal exposure to PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and lead on attention performance and attention-related behavior among German school-aged children: Results from the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 218(1), 1-5.

Nowack, N., Wittsiepe, J., Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Wilhelm, M., & Schölmerich, A. (2015). Influence of Low-Level Prenatal Exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs on Empathizing, Systemizing and Autistic Traits: Results from the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study. PLoS ONE, 10(6), e0129906.

Winneke, G., Ranft, U., Wittsiepe, J., Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Fürst, P., Krämer, U., . . . Wilhelm, M. (2013). Behavioral Sexual Dimorphism in School-Age Children and Early Developmental Exposure to Dioxins and PCBs: A Follow-Up Study of the Duisburg Cohort. Environmental Health Perspectives, 122(3), 292–298.

Rennert, A.,Wittsiepe, J., Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Binder, G., Fürst, P., Cramer, C., Krämer, U., & Wilhelm, M. (2012). Prenatal and Early Life Exposure to Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins, Dibenzofurans and Biphenyls May Influence Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Levels at Prepubertal Age: Results from the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 75, 19-20, 1232-1240.

Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Koch, H. M., Wittsiepe, J., & Wilhelm, M. (2012). Levels of phthalate metabolites in urine among mother–child-pairs–results from the Duisburg birth cohort study, Germany. International journal of hygiene and environmental health, 215(3), 373-382.

Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Wittsiepe, J., Koch, H. M., Fromme, H., & Wilhelm, M. (2012). Determination of bisphenol A in urine from mother–child pairs—results from the Duisburg birth cohort study, Germany. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 75(8-10), 429-437.

Cao, Y., Winneke, G., Wilhelm, M., Wittsiepe, J., Lemm, F., Fürst, P., . . . Krämer, U. (2008). Environmental exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls reduce levels of gonadal hormones in newborns: Results from the Duisburg cohort study. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 211(1-2), 30–39.

Wilhelm, M., Wittsiepe, J., Lemm, F., Ranft, U., Kramer, U., Furst, P., . . . Eberwein, G. (2008). The Duisburg birth cohort study: Influence of the prenatal exposure to PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs on thyroid hormone status in newborns and neurodevelopment of infants until the age of 24 months. Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, 659(1-2), 8-3.