Phthalate Metabolites in Maternal Urine and Breast Milk After Very Preterm Birth: Matrix Concordance

Exposure to environmental pollutants, especially endocrine-disrupting chemicals, disproportionately affects vulnerable populations like pregnant women, lactating mothers, and preterm infants. This study aimed to assess the detection patterns of DiNP-, DEP-, and DEHP-related metabolites in maternal urine and breast milk, examine agreement between matrices, and explore maternal factors associated with phthalate exposure.

Fifty-five mothers who delivered at ≤32 gestational weeks and whose infants were hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were enrolled. Breast milk and urine samples were analyzed using a validated isotope-dilution LC-MS/MS method. Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations were adjusted for specific gravity. Linear mixed-effects models with a random intercept for mother were used to examine associations between urinary and breast milk phthalate metabolite concentrations, assess temporal changes, and evaluate the influence of breast milk lipid content.

DEHP and DiNP metabolites were detected in nearly all maternal urine samples. Breast milk contained predominantly primary metabolites (MEHP and MiNP), while secondary oxidative metabolites were rarely detected. Urine concentrations consistently exceeded breast milk concentrations. Urinary and breast milk phthalate concentrations were not correlated across sampling periods, indicating limited matrix concordance.

Mothers of very preterm infants experience sustained phthalate exposure in the postpartum period; however, limited metabolite transfer to breast milk indicates that maternal urine remains the preferred biomonitoring matrix for assessing systemic phthalate exposure. Breast milk phthalate profiles exhibit compound-specific temporal changes and appear largely independent of concurrent urinary exposure biomarkers.