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Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
07:08

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Published on: March 6, 2018

Exposure to bisphenol A and other phenols in neonatal intensive care unit premature infants

Antonia M Calafat1, Jennifer Weuve, Xiaoyun Ye

  • 1Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. acalafat@cdc.gov

Environmental Health Perspectives
|May 15, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Premature infants exposed to medical plastics containing DEHP had significantly higher urinary bisphenol A (BPA) levels. Higher DEHP plastic use correlated with increased BPA concentrations, indicating a potential exposure link.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental health
  • Neonatal toxicology
  • Endocrine disruption

Background:

  • Premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are exposed to medical devices containing di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).
  • Previous studies linked DEHP exposure to higher metabolite concentrations in premature infants compared to the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate urinary concentrations of phenols, including bisphenol A (BPA), in premature infants.
  • To assess the association between the use of DEHP-containing medical devices and phenol concentrations.

Main Methods:

  • Measurement of urinary free and total concentrations of BPA, triclosan, benzophenone-3, methyl paraben, and propyl paraben.
  • Analysis of conjugated and free species of target phenols.

Main Results:

  • Urinary BPA concentrations were significantly higher in premature infants than in the general population (geometric mean 30.3 microg/L).
  • High use of DEHP-containing products was strongly associated with elevated total BPA concentrations (8.75 times higher).
  • Significant institutional differences in BPA concentrations were observed, with Institution A showing 16.6 times higher levels than Institution B.

Conclusions:

  • Premature infants undergoing intensive therapy exhibit substantially elevated urinary BPA levels.
  • The predominance of conjugated BPA metabolites suggests some metabolic capacity in premature infants.
  • The strong association between DEHP-containing product use and BPA levels necessitates further investigation into specific exposure sources.
Abstract

Keywords:
BPANICUbenzophenonebiomonitoringglucuronidationneonateparabentriclosan

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