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Parental preconception exposure to phenol and phthalate mixtures and the risk of preterm birth

Yu Zhang1, Vicente Mustieles2, Paige L Williams3

  • 1Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

Environment International
|February 28, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Exposure to mixtures of phenols and phthalates before conception is linked to preterm birth risk. Both maternal and paternal exposures contribute jointly, suggesting preterm birth may be a couple-based outcome.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Reproductive Toxicology
  • Perinatal Epidemiology

Background:

  • Previous studies linked single chemical exposures (phenols, phthalates) to increased preterm birth risk.
  • The combined impact of these chemical mixtures on preterm birth remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the joint effects of maternal and paternal preconception exposure to phenol and phthalate mixtures on preterm birth risk.
  • To explore the couple-based joint effect of these chemical mixtures on preterm birth.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of preconception urinary concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), parabens, and phthalate biomarkers in 384 female and 211 male participants (203 couples).
  • Utilized principal component analysis (PCA) and Probit Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) to assess mixtures in relation to preterm birth.
  • Employed couple-based BKMR to evaluate the joint impact of parental exposures.

Main Results:

  • PCA identified similar maternal and paternal exposure factors, with the DEHP-BPA factor positively associated with preterm birth.
  • BKMR models indicated positive associations between maternal BPA, mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate, and paternal mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate with preterm birth.
  • A positive joint effect on preterm birth was observed with increasing quantiles of couples' total mixture concentrations.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal and paternal preconception exposure to BPA and DEHP metabolites are associated with increased preterm birth risk.
  • Both parental exposure windows contribute jointly to preterm birth, highlighting a potential couple-based pregnancy outcome.
  • These findings underscore the importance of assessing combined environmental exposures in both partners for understanding preterm birth etiology.
Abstract

Keywords:
BPACoupleDEHPPretermSingletonSubfertile

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