[The first 1,000 days of life : a period of vulnerability to environmental pollutants].

Abstract

Research on the first 1,000 days, from conception to the end of the first two years of life, has highlighted the vulnerability of unborn children and newborns to environmental pollutants. Human exposure to these substances has become ubiquitous and contamination seems inevitable. Some environmental pollutants are endocrine disruptors, and their effects on this developing population are still poorly understood. The interference caused by chemicals with neurodevelopment, metabolism, and cell signaling has shown that early alterations in these processes can trigger chronic diseases later in life. The difficulties inherent in taking biological samples from fetuses and young children, as well as in assessing multiple contamination, make large-scale studies more complex but necessary to evaluate and quantify the impact of pollutants on this particularly vulnerable population. Preventing exposure to environmental pollutants, especially during the first 1,000 days of life, is a major public health issue and a potent lever for reducing the incidence of chronic diseases.