Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy and Prenatal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Commonly Used in Personal Care Products

Marissa Chan,Andrea Bellavia,Carol Mita,Michaiah Parker,Tamarra James-Todd

doi:10.1007/s40572-021-00317-5

Abstract

Purpose of ReviewEndocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure during pregnancy is linked to adverse maternal and child health outcomes that are racially/ethnically disparate. Personal care products (PCP) are one source of EDCs where differences in racial/ethnic patterns of use exist. We assessed the literature for racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy and prenatal PCP chemical exposures.Recent FindingsOnly 3 studies explicitly examined racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy and prenatal exposure to PCP-associated EDCs. Fifty-three articles from 12 cohorts presented EDC concentrations stratified by race/ethnicity or among homogenous US minority populations. Studies reported on phthalates and phenols. Higher phthalate metabolites and paraben concentrations were observed for pregnant non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women. Higher concentrations of benzophenone-3 were observed in non-Hispanic White women; results were inconsistent for triclosan.SummaryThis review highlights need for future research examining pregnancy and prenatal PCP-associated EDCs disparities to understand and reduce racial/ethnic disparities in maternal and child health.

Highlights

Racial/ethnic disparities in early-life health outcomes have been well-documented, with notable disparities including preterm birth [1–3], low birth weight [1–3], early onset of puberty [4, 5], and childhood asthma [6, 7]
While a variety of social and lifestyle factors are at play, recent work suggests that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during pregnancy and the prenatal period may play a role in these disparities [10]
We identified 3 studies that explicitly examined the racial/ethnic disparities in exposure to EDCs commonly used in personal care products during pregnancy and the prenatal period and 53 articles that presented racially/ethnically stratified exposure data in the contiguous US and Puerto Rico

Summary

Introduction

Racial/ethnic disparities in early-life health outcomes have been well-documented, with notable disparities including preterm birth [1–3], low birth weight [1–3], early onset of puberty [4, 5], and childhood asthma [6, 7]. Research documents exposure to EDCassociated personal care products during pregnancy and the prenatal period [16, 19, 20], as well as associations of EDC concentrations with adverse maternal and child health outcomes, few studies have examined the racial/ethnic patterns of use that may contribute to these higher EDC exposures and their associations with disparate maternal and child health outcomes [10].

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