本研究是探討母親多氯聯苯中毒後所生之小孩（簡稱油症兒）之生理發展情形。研究對象是118名油症兒，而且每名油症兒配以一名同性別、年齡、居住環境、家庭社經地位及母親年齡相似之對照兒。研究時間是從1992年至1997年間，除了1996年未做外，研究小組之成員均每年親自去各地衛生所替油症兒及其對照兒做詳細的身體檢查及最近半年內兒童健康史之調查。研究結果發現隨著年齡之增長，油症兒已較不易罹患感冒及中耳炎，油症兒之身高典體重均比對照兒稍矮與稍輕，尤其女性油症兒在身高與體重之發展更是明顯地低於對照兒：另外男性油症兒的陰莖長度在11歲時顯著地較其對照兒短。這些發現可能與多氯聯苯會影響免疫機轉、影響鈣化及生長激素，及其具有促進女性荷爾蒙及抗男性荷爾蒙之作用有關。本研究結論為先天性多氯
聯苯中毒對油症兒某些生理發展俱有長期之影響，故仍應持續追蹤研究。
The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the physical development of children (Yucheng children) born to mothers who were poisoned by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the late 1970s. In 1985, 118 Yucheng children and controls, matched for sex, age, residence, and parents'' socioeconomic status, were recruited for this long-term follow-up study after an initial examination. We examined their physical development annually from 1992 to 1997, except 1996.
Compared to matched controls, Yucheng children had more episodes of getting cold or otitis media, but became unremarkable when they grew up. Besides, Yucheng children were shorter and had lower body weight, and the differences were significant in female Yucheng children. Male Yucheng children had shorter penile length. These results could be explained by that PCBs may suppress immunity, calcification and growth hormone, and PCBs has the estrogenic and antiandrogenic effects.
In conclusion, PCBs has a long-term adverse effects on some aspects of physical development among Yucheng children, which deserves further attention and follow-up.
