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Perinatal and postnatal exposure to phthalates and early neurodevelopment at 6 months in healthy infants born at term
Laura Lucaccioni1, Lucia Palandri2,3, Erica Passini4
1Pediatric Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences of the Mother, Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Insights
Phthalate exposure in infants is widespread and linked to lower neurodevelopment scores, particularly in boys. This study highlights potential risks of these endocrine disruptors during early childhood development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Toxicology
Background:
- Phthalates are ubiquitous plasticizers with endocrine-disrupting properties.
- Exposure during critical windows like pregnancy and early childhood may impact neurodevelopment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between urinary phthalate metabolite levels in newborns and infants and their global development at six months.
- To assess neurodevelopment using the Griffiths Scales of Children Development (GSCD III).
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal cohort study of 104 healthy Italian mother-infant pairs from birth to six months.
- Urine samples collected at birth, 3, and 6 months analyzed for 7 phthalate metabolites.
- Global child development assessed using GSCD III at six months.
Main Results:
- Phthalate metabolites were detected in most urine samples (66-100%).
- Negative associations were found between higher phthalate metabolite levels (DEHP, MBzP) and lower developmental scores (GSCD III) in infants and mothers.
- Associations differed by child's sex, with negative links in boys and positive in girls.
Conclusions:
- Widespread phthalate exposure is associated with reduced neurodevelopmental scores in infants.
- The findings suggest sex-specific differences in phthalate's impact on child development.
- Further research on non-regulated phthalates and their developmental effects is warranted.
Background:
Phthalates are non-persistent chemicals largely used as plasticizers and considered ubiquitous pollutants with endocrine disrupting activity. The exposure during sensible temporal windows as pregnancy and early childhood, may influence physiological neurodevelopment.
Aims And Scope:
The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between the urinary levels of phthalate metabolites in newborn and infants and the global development measured by the Griffiths Scales of Children Development (GSCD) at six months.
Methods:
Longitudinal cohort study in healthy Italian term newborn and their mothers from birth to the first 6 months of life. Urine samples were collected at respectively 0 (T0), 3 (T3), 6 (T6) months, and around the delivery for mothers. Urine samples were analyzed for a total of 7 major phthalate metabolites of 5 of the most commonly used phthalates. At six months of age a global child development assessment using the third edition of the Griffith Scales of Child Development (GSCD III) was performed in 104 participants.
Results:
In a total of 387 urine samples, the seven metabolites analyzed appeared widespread and were detected in most of the urine samples collected at any time of sampling (66-100%). At six months most of the Developmental Quotients (DQs) falls in average range, except for the subscale B, which presents a DQ median score of 87 (85-95). Adjusted linear regressions between DQs and urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in mothers at T0 and in infants at T0, T3 and T6 identified several negative associations both for infants' and mothers especially for DEHP and MBzP. Moreover, once stratified by children's sex, negative associations were found in boys while positive in girls.
Conclusions:
Phthalates exposure is widespread, especially for not regulated compounds. Urinary phthalate metabolites were found to be associated to GSCD III scores, showing inverse association with higher phthalate levels related to lower development scores. Our data suggested differences related to the child's sex.
