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Prenatal phthalate exposure and infant size at birth and gestational duration

Jessica R Shoaff1, Megan E Romano1, Kimberly Yolton2

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.

Environmental Research
|May 30, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal phthalate exposure did not impact infant birth size or gestational duration in this study. Further research is needed to explore earlier developmental windows for potential effects of phthalate metabolites.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Reproductive Toxicology
  • Perinatal Epidemiology

Background:

  • Widespread phthalate exposure is a public health concern.
  • Previous studies on prenatal phthalate exposure and infant outcomes show inconsistent findings.
  • Understanding the impact of phthalates on fetal development is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and infant birth outcomes.
  • To quantify the relationship between specific phthalate exposures and birth weight z-scores, length, head circumference, and gestational duration.
  • To clarify the impact of phthalate exposure during mid-pregnancy on infant anthropometrics and gestation.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 368 pregnant women from the HOME Study in Cincinnati, OH, was analyzed.
  • Maternal urine samples were collected at 16 and 26 weeks gestation to measure nine phthalate metabolites.
  • Infant birth size and gestational duration data were obtained from medical records and analyzed using multivariable linear regression.

Main Results:

  • Unadjusted analyses indicated potential associations: monoethyl phthalate (MEP) with birth weight z-scores and mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) with gestational duration.
  • After adjusting for covariates, no statistically significant associations were found between maternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and infant birth size or gestational duration.
  • These findings suggest that phthalate exposures measured in mid-pregnancy may not significantly affect these specific infant outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations during pregnancy were not associated with infant birth size or gestational duration in this cohort.
  • The study highlights the need for further investigation into potential critical windows of fetal development for phthalate exposure effects.
  • Additional research may elucidate the complex relationship between environmental exposures and infant health outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
Birth outcomesEndocrine disrupting chemicalsExposurePhthalatePrenatal

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