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Associations of prenatal exposure to phthalates and their mixture with lung function in Mexican children

Cheng-Yang Hu1, Cecilia S Alcala2, Hector Lamadrid-Figueroa3

  • 1Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.

Journal of Hazardous Materials
|June 17, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to phthalates impacts childhood lung function differently in boys and girls. Higher phthalate levels during pregnancy were linked to better lung function in females but poorer lung function in males.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Early life phthalate exposure is linked to respiratory issues, but prenatal exposure effects on childhood lung function are unclear.
  • Few studies have investigated phthalate mixtures or sex-specific associations with lung function.
  • Understanding these relationships is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sex-specific associations between prenatal phthalate mixtures and childhood lung function.
  • To analyze the impact of phthalate exposure during different trimesters of pregnancy.
  • To explore potential sex differences in the effects of phthalates on lung development.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the PROGRESS cohort in Mexico (N=476) with maternal urine samples from 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
  • Assessed children's lung function (FEV1, FVC) between ages 8-13 years.
  • Employed multivariable linear regression, WQS regression, and hierarchical BKMR, stratifying by sex.

Main Results:

  • Significant sex interactions were found for 2nd trimester phthalate mixture exposure and lung function (FEV1, FVC z-scores).
  • Higher 2nd trimester phthalate exposure correlated with increased FEV1 and FVC z-scores in females.
  • Conversely, higher 2nd trimester phthalate exposure was associated with decreased FEV1 and FVC z-scores in males.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal phthalate exposure is associated with childhood lung function in a sex-specific manner.
  • The findings highlight the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in environmental health research.
  • This study provides evidence for targeted public health strategies addressing phthalate exposure risks.

Keywords:
Child healthLung functionMixture exposurePhthalates

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