Relationship between maternal exposure to bisphenol S and pregnancy duration

Bisphenol S (BPS) has been progressively used due to the potential safety problems of bisphenol A (BPA). Thus Human studies are needed to investigate the developmental effects of BPS. In this study, the impact of maternal BPS exposure on birth outcomes was evaluated with linear and logistic regression models. BPS was analyzed in spot urine samples collected from 985 pregnant women at admission to labor. It was found in 93.7% of the urine samples with the specific gravity adjusted geometric mean concentration of 0.17 μg/L. One ln-unit increase in urinary BPS was associated with a 0.72-day increase in pregnancy duration (95% CI: 0.34, 1.09). When stratified by fetal sex, each ln-unit increase in maternal urinary BPS was significantly correlated with increased gestational age [adjusted β = 1.02, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.47, 1.57] and increased odds of late term birth [adjusted odds ratio = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.67] for girls, but not significantly for boys. Including maternal urinary BPA and BPS in one model did not change the results. Associations of BPS with birth weight or length were not observed. This is the first report about BPS exposure for pregnant women from China. Higher maternal urinary BPS concentrations were associated with increased gestational age, suggesting maternal BPS exposure may interfere with pregnancy duration. The findings require replication but reveal the probable risks posed by the developmental BPS exposure.