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Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Prenatal phthalate exposures and childhood allergies: Combined linear/nonlinear modeling reveals critical windows and
Yi-Ming Zhao1, Xin Chen1, Chen Han1
1Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the Peoples Republic of China, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to certain phthalates is linked to childhood allergies like wheezing and rhinitis. These effects are dependent on the trimester of exposure and the child's sex, with nonlinear dose-response relationships observed.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Allergy
- Toxicology
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to phthalates is a growing concern.
- The relationship between prenatal phthalate exposure and childhood allergies is not fully understood.
- Childhood allergic diseases include recurrent wheezing, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal phthalate exposure and the risk of childhood allergies.
- To explore trimester-specific and sex-specific effects of phthalate exposure.
- To identify potential nonlinear dose-response relationships.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 3240 mother-infant pairs from the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort.
- Detection of phthalate metabolites in maternal urine samples across three trimesters.
- Longitudinal assessment of childhood allergic diseases using questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Nonlinear associations were found between first-trimester exposure to low-molecular-weight phthalates and recurrent wheezing risk.
- Specific phthalate metabolites showed linear/nonlinear associations with atopic dermatitis.
- Sex-specific, trimester-dependent effects were observed for allergic rhinitis, with some exposures reducing risk and others increasing it, often in a nonlinear manner.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal phthalate exposure has trimester- and sex-dependent effects on childhood allergies.
- Nonlinear dose-response relationships are important in understanding these associations.
- Further research is needed to confirm these sex- and trimester-specific findings.
Abstract:
Prenatal phthalate exposure and childhood allergies remain understudied. This study analyzed 3240 singleton mother-infant pairs from the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort. Urine samples were collected during all three trimesters to detect phthalate metabolites. Childhood allergic diseases, which included recurrent wheezing (RW), atopic dermatitis (AD), and allergic rhinitis (AR), were longitudinally assessed using a self-designed questionnaire incorporated items adapted from ISAAC. A nonlinear association existed between first-trimester exposure to low-molecular-weight phthalates (MMP, MEP, MBP) and childhood RW risk, with cumulative exposure amplifying this risk. Individual metabolites (MMP, MBP, and MEOHP) exhibited linear/nonlinear associations with AD, cumulative exposure was nonsignificant. Early rhinitis risk in girls demonstrated an inverse U-shaped relationship with prenatal exposure to a specific DEHP metabolite, with third-trimester exposure reducing risk. Notably, cumulative exposure to phthalates during the third-trimester reduced the risk of rhinitis in children. However, cumulative phthalate exposure during first-trimester increased the risk of developing rhinitis in children, which was driven primarily by nonlinear associations of DEHP metabolites in early pregnancy with rhinitis risk. Second-trimester cumulative exposure also increased the risk of rhinitis in children, primarily due to MBP-associated early rhinitis susceptibility. Importantly, all associations were sex-specific. This study highlights trimester- and sex-dependent effects of prenatal phthalate exposure on childhood allergies, emphasizing nonlinear dose-response relationships. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings.
