Racial differences in the associations between prenatal exposure to environmental phenol mixtures and preterm birth

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Reproductive Epidemiology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Prenatal exposure to environmental phenols (EPs) is a growing concern.
• Disparities in preterm birth (PTB) risk exist among racial/ethnic groups.
• Understanding the differential impact of EPs on PTB is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate associations between prenatal urinary EPs and PTB.
• To examine differences in these associations between non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) mothers.
• To identify key EPs contributing to PTB risk.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 153 NHW and 139 NHB mothers.
• Urine samples collected at 18-22 weeks gestation.
• Quantification of urinary EPs (parabens, benzophenones, triclosan, bisphenols) via LC-MS/MS.
• Analysis using Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) for mixture effects and logistic regression for individual EPs.

Main Results:

• A non-linear association between the EPs mixture and PTB was observed.
• Higher PTB probability was linked to the 60th-80th percentiles of the EPs mixture in NHB mothers, not NHW mothers.
• Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) and triclosan (TCS) were significant mixture components; BP-1 and bisphenol S (BPS) were associated with lower PTB odds individually.

Conclusions:

• Prenatal exposure to a mixture of EPs is associated with increased PTB risk in NHB mothers.
• Individual EPs may have differential effects on PTB risk across racial groups.
• Further research is needed to elucidate mechanisms and inform targeted interventions.