Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and gestational weight gain: a multi-center prospective cohort study

To evaluate the associations of plasma polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations in early pregnancy with gestational weight gain (GWG).

Prospective cohort study.

US-based, multicentre cohort of pregnant women.

We used data from 2052 women without obesity and 397 women with obesity participating in the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies - Singleton Cohort, with first-trimester plasma PBDE concentrations and weight measurements throughout pregnancy.

We applied generalised linear models and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to evaluate both the individual and joint associations of PBDEs with measures of GWG, adjusting for potential confounders.

Total GWG (kg), total and trimester-specific GWG velocities (kg/week), and GWG categories and trajectory groups.

Mean pre-pregnancy BMIs were 23.6 and 34.5 kg/m² for women without and with obesity, respectively. Among women without obesity, there were no associations of PBDEs with any GWG measure. Among women with obesity, one standard deviation increase in log-transformed PBDE 47 was associated with a 1.87 kg higher total GWG (95% CI 0.39-3.35) and a 0.05 kg/week higher total GWG velocity (95% CI 0.01-0.09). Similar associations were found for PBDE 47 in BKMR among women with obesity, and PBDE 47, 99 and 100 were associated with lower odds of being in the low GWG trajectory group.

PBDEs were not associated with GWG among individuals without obesity. Among those with obesity, only PBDE 47 showed consistent positive associations with GWG measures across multiple statistical methods. Further research is needed to validate this association and explore potential mechanisms.