Association between maternal use of spray formulations and offspring urological anomalies: The Japan Environment and

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

Published on: March 6, 2018

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Yohei Taniguchi1, Hideki Shimomura1, Hideki Hasunuma2,3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Hyogo Medical University School of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.

International Journal of Urology : Official Journal of the Japanese Urological Association
|June 20, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Maternal use of waterproof or insecticide sprays during pregnancy may increase the risk of offspring urological anomalies. This includes conditions like vesicoureteral reflux in boys and hydronephrosis in girls.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Urology
  • Reproductive Toxicology

Background:

  • Maternal exposure to household products during pregnancy is a growing concern for fetal development.
  • Specific risks associated with spray formulations, such as organic solvents and pesticides, require further investigation.
  • Urological anomalies represent a significant category of congenital abnormalities in newborns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal inhalation of household products, particularly spray formulations, and the development of urological anomalies in offspring.
  • To clarify the impact of specific product types, including waterproof sprays and insecticides, on fetal urogenital development.
  • To assess these risks up to one year of age in a large birth cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 84,237 children in the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).
  • Collected maternal self-report data on household product use (organic solvents, waterproof sprays, insect-repellent sprays, insecticide sprays, herbicides) during early pregnancy.
  • Analyzed the prevalence of urological anomalies diagnosed within the first year of life using multivariate logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • No association was found between maternal exposure to organic solvents and offspring urological anomalies.
  • Maternal use of waterproof sprays was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of urological anomalies in boys (OR: 1.28).
  • Maternal use of insecticide sprays showed a significant association with urological anomalies in girls (OR: 1.48), specifically hydronephrosis (OR: 2.23).
  • Waterproof spray use was linked to vesicoureteral reflux in boys (OR: 2.14).

Conclusions:

  • Maternal use of certain spray formulations during pregnancy may elevate the risk of congenital urological anomalies in offspring.
  • Specific products like waterproof sprays and insecticide sprays warrant attention due to their potential teratogenic effects on the developing urinary system.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms and confirm these findings across diverse populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
congenital abnormalitiescongenital defectsfetal malformationssolventsteratogens

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