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Perinatal phthalates exposure decreases fine-motor functions in 11-year-old girls: Results from weighted Quantile sum
Sharon Daniel1, Arin A Balalian2, Robin M Whyatt3
1Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva POB 653, Israel; Soroka Medical Center and Clalit Health Services, Southern District, Israel.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to phthalate mixtures is linked to reduced fine motor skills in 11-year-old girls. This study highlights sex-specific effects of these common plasticizers on child development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Developmental Toxicology
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Phthalates are widely used industrial chemicals that can cross the placental barrier.
- Prenatal phthalate exposure is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes in children.
- Previous research indicated sex-specific associations between single phthalates and motor function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to a mixture of seven phthalate metabolites and motor function at age 11 years.
- To examine sex-specific effects of phthalate mixtures on gross and fine motor skills.
- To identify specific phthalate metabolites contributing to observed motor function deficits.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study (Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health birth cohort).
- Maternal urine samples analyzed for seven phthalate metabolites during the third trimester.
- Motor function assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2) at age 11.
- Weighted Quartile Sum (WQS) regression and linear regression models used for analysis, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- A significant decrease in fine-motor function was observed in females exposed to higher levels of the phthalate mixture (B = -2.7, p = 0.01).
- No significant association was found between the phthalate mixture and gross-motor function in females or any motor function in males.
- Specific non-DEHP metabolites (MBP, MBZP, MIBP) were most strongly associated with fine-motor deficits in females.
- Secondary analysis revealed decreased gross and fine motor functions in females exposed to a sum of non-DEHP phthalates.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to phthalate mixtures is associated with impaired fine-motor function in 11-year-old girls.
- The findings suggest sex-specific vulnerabilities to phthalate-induced neurodevelopmental effects.
- These results underscore the importance of evaluating phthalate mixtures in environmental health research.
Introduction:
Phthalates are a group of high production chemicals, generally used as plasticizers and odor enhancers. Phthalates cross the blood-placenta barrier and are associated with deficits in cognitive functions and behavior problems in offspring. We previously reported sex-specific associations with motor function when phthalates are considered singly. Because exposure to phthalates usually occurs as mixtures, here we assess these associations between a mixture of phthalates and motor function at age 11 years.
Methods:
Data come from the prospective cohort study of mothers and offspring who participated in the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health birth cohort (CCCEH). Seven phthalate metabolites were measured in maternal spot urine obtained during the third trimester and motor function was evaluated using the short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd edition (BOT-2) at the age of 11 years. We used Weighted Quartile Sum (WQS) regression models to examine the effect of phthalate metabolites in males and females separately. The models were adjusted for child age in months, child BMI, maternal race (African-American vs. Dominican), prenatal alcohol consumption, maternal demoralization score, HOME score, and urine specific gravity. In a secondary analysis we used linear regression models to examine the association between the sum of molar concentrations of both DEHP and non-DEHP metabolites, and outcomes of gross and fine motor functions.
Results:
209 mother-child pairs were eligible for this analysis. A significant decrease in fine-motor functions was observed among females, but not among males, following exposure to high levels of weighted quartile sum of seven phthalate metabolites (Covariates-adjusted coefficient estimate B = -2.7, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] -4.64 to -0.75, p = 0.01 for females [n = 116] and B = -1.63, 95%CI -3.94 to 0.69, p = 0.16 for males [n = 93]). The most highly weighted phthalate metabolites, associated with fine-motor functions among females, were MBP, MBZP, and MIBP, all non-DEHP phthalates. No significant associations were found between the weighted quartile sum of seven phthalate metabolites and gross-motor functions at the age of 11 years for males (B = -0.81, 95%CI -1.17 to 1.96, p = 0.23). With the molar sum of four non-DEHP phthalates as main predictor of linear regression models, we found significant decrease in gross and fine motor functions among females prenatally exposed to non-DEHP phthalates B = -0.98, 95%CI -1.98 to 0.03, p = 0.05 and B = -0.85, 95%CI -1.49 to -0.20, p = 0.01, respectively).
Conclusions:
Phthalate exposure during pregnancy was associated with decreased motor functions among 11-year-old girls.
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