Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 9, 2026

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

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

Published on: March 6, 2018

6.7K

Maternal urinary paraben levels and offspring size at birth from a Chinese birth cohort

Chuansha Wu1, Wenqian Huo1, Yuanyuan Li1

  • 1Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.

Chemosphere
|January 7, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to parabens, endocrine disruptors, showed a positive association with birth length in boys. However, overall, maternal paraben levels did not significantly impact infant size at birth in this Chinese cohort.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Reproductive Toxicology
  • Pediatric Endocrinology

Background:

  • Parabens are endocrine-disrupting chemicals with suspected links to impaired fetal growth.
  • Limited epidemiological data exists on the effects of prenatal paraben exposure on birth outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal urinary paraben concentrations and infant size at birth.
  • To evaluate potential sex-specific effects of prenatal paraben exposure on birth weight and length.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 1006 mother-infant pairs from the Healthy Baby Cohort (HBC) in Hubei Province, China.
  • Measurement of paraben concentrations (methyl, ethyl, propyl) in maternal urine collected before delivery.
  • Application of general linear models to assess associations between maternal paraben exposure and infant anthropometrics.

Main Results:

  • Urinary methyl paraben (MeP) concentrations were positively associated with increased birth length in male infants.
  • Maternal paraben levels showed non-significant trends with birth weight, with differing directions for boys and girls.
  • No significant associations were found between maternal paraben exposure and birth length in female infants.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal urinary methyl paraben (MeP) levels are positively linked to greater birth length in newborn boys.
  • The study did not find robust associations between current paraben exposure levels in Chinese pregnant women and infant size at birth.
Abstract

Keywords:
Birth cohortBirth sizeMaternal urineParabens

More Related Videos

Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse POP Quantification System03:49

Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse POP Quantification System

Published on: September 20, 2018

21.3K
Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development05:44

Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development

Published on: May 17, 2024

1.2K

Related Concept Videos

Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
4.4K
Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
7.3K