Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2025

Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development
05:44

Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development

Published on: May 17, 2024

550

Maternal phthalate exposure and BMI trajectory in children-an 18-year birth cohort follow-up study

Hui-Ju Wen1,2, Pen-Hua Su3, Chien-Wen Sun2

  • 1Institute of Earth Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
|June 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to certain phthalates like DEHP is linked to long-term obesity in children. Maternal urinary phthalate metabolites were associated with increasing BMI z scores and stable high BMI trajectories up to age 18.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Obesity is a global health crisis, with increasing prevalence in children.
  • Phthalate plasticizers are suspected obesogens, but their impact on early-life exposure and long-term obesity is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal phthalate exposure and children's body mass index (BMI) patterns.
  • To analyze BMI trajectories from age 2 to 18 years in relation to maternal phthalate exposure during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified seven phthalate metabolites in maternal urine using LC-MS/MS.
  • Calculated BMI z scores for children and used trajectory analysis to identify BMI patterns.
  • Employed generalized estimating equations (GEE) and logistic regression to assess phthalate-BMI associations.

Main Results:

  • Maternal urinary diethyl phthalate (DEP) metabolites correlated with increased BMI z scores in children (ages 2-18).
  • Doubled maternal urinary ∑mDEHP (3 monohexyl phthalate metabolites of DEHP) exposure increased the risk of children maintaining a stable high BMI trajectory until age 18.
  • BMI trajectories stabilized after age 5, with significant overweight/obesity rates observed throughout follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal phthalate exposure is associated with adverse long-term BMI trajectories in children.
  • Specific phthalates, such as DEHP, may play a role in the developmental origins of childhood obesity.
  • Early-life phthalate exposure represents a potential modifiable risk factor for preventing childhood obesity.
Abstract

Keywords:
Birth cohortObesityPerinatal exposurePhthalateTrajectory

More Related Videos

Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants07:08

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

Published on: March 6, 2018

6.1K
Collection of Alfalfa Root Exudates to Study the Impact of Di2-ethylhexyl Phthalate on Metabolite Production06:46

Collection of Alfalfa Root Exudates to Study the Impact of Di2-ethylhexyl Phthalate on Metabolite Production

Published on: June 2, 2023

1.7K

Related Concept Videos

Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
2.4K
Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
451
Probability Laws01:49

Probability Laws

Overview
40.8K
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
20.4K