Prenatal exposure pyrethroids and children’s weight - PIPA Project

Abstract

Background/Aims: Experimental studies suggest that fetal exposure to pyrethroids may have growth effects. However, epidemiologic investigations are scarce and inconsistent. Our data are from pilot study conducted in 2018, that is a precursor of a birth cohort that will be started at the School Maternity of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. We aimed to assess prenatal pyrethroids exposure and weight gain until six month at age.Methods: 142 interviews were conducted about maternal exposure and maternal and children urine samples were collected. Babies' weight was assessed at birth and in outpatient visits at the first, third and sixth months of age, small and large children for gestational age were excluded. The metabolites of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and 4-fluorobenzylphosphonic acid (4FBPA) were analyzed in the urine of babies. For this study, we considered only the 3-PBA that had a higher detection rate among mothers and children. Our study population consisted of 49 children appropriate for gestational age (AGA).Results: The 3PBA-ng mL-1 had a detection rate of 23% among babies and 47% among pregnant women. The group of babies that had detection of the pyrethroid metabolite in the urine, had a lower risk of weight gain below the expected for the age group, but without statistical significance (RR = 0.72 p = 0.74). For weight gain above the expected in the age group of the follow-up, there was a greater effect in the studied sample, but without statistical significance (RR = 0.32 p = 0.4332)Conclusions: This is the first study in Brazil that analyze women pregnant and babies with environmental pollutants and, therefore there isn't previous parameter of compare with laboratorial data. The findings of this study suggest attention for the exposure to pyrethroids as well as new studies in this thematic.