Maternal Urinary Concentrations Research Articles

Maternal phthalate exposure promotes allergic airway inflammation over 2 generations through epigenetic modifications

Prenatal and early postnatal exposures to environmental factors are considered responsible for the increasing prevalence of allergic diseases. Although there is some evidence for allergy-promoting effects in children because of exposure to plasticizers, such as phthalates, findings of previous studies are inconsistent and lack mechanistic information. We investigated the effect of maternal phthalate exposure on asthma development in subsequent generations and their underlying mechanisms, including epigenetic alterations. Phthalate metabolites were measured within the prospective mother-child cohort Lifestyle and Environmental Factors and Their Influence on Newborns Allergy Risk (LINA) and correlated with asthma development in the children. Amurine transgenerational asthma model was used to identify involved pathways. In LINA maternal urinary concentrations of mono-n-butyl phthalate, a metabolite of butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), were associated with an increased asthma risk in the children. Using a murine transgenerational asthma model, we demonstrate a direct effect of BBP on asthma severity in the offspring with a persistently increased airway inflammation up to the F2 generation. This disease-promoting effect was mediated by BBP-induced global DNA hypermethylation in CD4+ T cells of the offspring because treatment with a DNA-demethylating agent alleviated exacerbation of allergic airway inflammation. Thirteen transcriptionally downregulated genes linked to promoter or enhancer hypermethylation were identified. Among these, the GATA-3 repressor zinc finger protein 1 (Zfpm1) emerged as a potential mediator of the enhanced susceptibility for TH2-driven allergic asthma. These data provide strong evidence that maternal BBP exposure increases the risk for allergic airway inflammation in the offspring by modulating the expression of genes involved in TH2 differentiation through epigenetic alterations.

Paraben Concentrations in Maternal Urine and Breast Milk and Its Association with Personal Care Product Use.

Parabens are broad-spectrum antimicrobial preservatives and fragrances used in a wide range of personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and food providing the opportunity for people to be exposed on a daily basis. In 2009-2010, 80 pregnant women from Ottawa Canada participated in the Plastics and Personal-Care Product Use in Pregnancy (P4) Study. A subset of women (n = 31) who provided multiple spot urine samples (n = 542) collected over two 24-h periods had their samples analyzed for methylparaben (MP), n-propylparaben (PP), ethylparaben (EP), butylparaben (BP), isobutylparaben (IBP), and benzylparaben (BzP). These parabens were also measured in breast milk samples collected at approximately 3 months postpartum (n = 56 women). Women kept a diary of products that they used 24 h prior to and during the collection. All parabens measured in maternal urine had moderate to high reproducibility. Women who used lotions in the past 24 h had significantly higher geometric mean paraben concentrations (80-110%) in their urine than women who reported no use in the past 24 h. Women who used shampoo, conditioner, and cosmetics also showed 70-80% higher BP concentrations in their urine. Breast milk samples had >50% detection for MP, PP, and EP.

Maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and visual recognition memory among infants at 27 weeks

BackgroundPrior research has demonstrated inverse associations between maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and cognitive development assessed in preschool and school-aged children. While there are a limited number of studies that evaluated these associations during infancy, no study has evaluated whether these associations exist when using the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII), which captures novelty preference as a function of visual recognition memory. ObjectiveWe evaluated associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations in maternal prenatal urine and cognition in infancy using the FTII at 27 weeks and determine if these associations are sex-specific. MethodsMono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) and four di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites (DEHP) were quantified in urine samples collected from 168 minority women living in urban neighborhoods during their third trimester of pregnancy. The FTII was administered to infants at 27 weeks to measure visual recognition memory and was recorded as the novelty preference score. ResultsThere were no associations between prenatal phthalate metabolite concentrations and novelty preference score in the full sample. However, there was evidence of effect modification by infant sex. Sex-stratified models demonstrated that compared to girls in the lowest tertile of MBzP concentrations, girls in tertiles 2 and 3 had, on average, 3.98 and 4.65 points lower novelty preference scores (p-value=0.04 and 0.03, respectively). The relationship was similar for ΣDEHP, MiBP, and MEP. Effects among boys were inconsistent and generally not significant. ConclusionMaternal prenatal exposure to some phthalates was negatively associated with visual recognition memory as measured by the FTII among girls at age 27 weeks.

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A and risk of allergic diseases in early life.

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) affects immune system and promotes allergy and asthma in mice, but findings in human studies are limited. We investigated whether prenatal exposure to BPA is associated with increased risk of allergic diseases in infants. We measured BPA concentrations in maternal urine samples collected at delivery from 412 women in Wuhan, China. The occurrence of allergic diseases including eczema and wheeze were assessed at age 6 mo through questionnaires. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between urinary BPA levels and the risk of allergic diseases. Mothers of infants with allergic diseases had significantly higher urinary BPA levels than those of infants without allergic diseases (median: 2.35 vs. 4.55 µg/l, P = 0.03). Increased risk of infant allergic diseases was associated with creatinine-adjusted maternal urinary BPA concentrations. And this association was limited to females (odds ratio (OR) = 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-1.79) rather than males. After stratification by maternal age, the association was only significant in infants of mothers who were younger than 25 y old (OR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.09-3.29). Prenatal exposure to BPA may potentially increase the risk of allergic diseases at very early life in female infants.

Application of povidone-iodine at delivery significantly increases maternal urinary iodine but not neonatal thyrotropin in an area with iodine sufficiency.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) application at delivery on maternal urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and neonatal thyrotropin concentration. In this cross-sectional study, urine samples were collected from each pregnant woman after admission to the hospital and before routine application of the PVP-I for delivery preparation and after delivery at time of screening for congenital hypothyroidism. A heel-prick blood sample was taken from all newborns. A total of 394 pregnant women at time of delivery participated in this study. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) maternal UIC values were 120 (105-157) and 253 (126-470) μg/L before and after delivery, respectively (p<0.001). No significant correlations were observed between maternal UIC before and after delivery and neonatal thyrotropin levels. Application of PVP-I significantly increased UIC in postpartum mothers; however, thyrotropin concentration in neonates, whose mothers had adequate UIC, was within the normal range.

Urinary Levels of IL-1β and GDNF in Preterm Neonates as Potential Biomarkers of Motor Development: A Prospective Study.

Objectives. To evaluate the association between inflammatory biomarkers, neurotrophic factors, birth conditions, and the presence of motor development abnormalities in preterm neonates. Methods. Plasma and urinary levels of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF, and IL-12p70), chemokines (CXCL8/IL-8, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL5/RANTES, CXCL10/IP-10, and CXCL9/MIG), and neurotrophic factors (BDNF and GDNF) were evaluated in 40 preterm neonates born between 28 and 32 incomplete weeks of gestation, at four distinct time points: at birth (umbilical cord blood) (T0), at 48 (T1), at 72 hours (T2), and at 3 weeks after birth (T3). Biomarkers levels were compared between different time points and then associated with Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) percentiles. Results. Maternal age, plasma, and urinary concentrations of inflammatory molecules and neurotrophic factors were significantly different between groups with normal versus lower than expected motor development. Higher levels of GDNF were found in the group with lower than expected motor development, while IL-1β and CXCL8/IL-8 values were higher in the group with typical motor development. Conclusion. Measurements of cytokines and neurotrophic factors in spot urine may be useful in the follow-up of motor development in preterm neonates.

Prenatal phthalate exposure and 8-isoprostane among Mexican-American children with high prevalence of obesity.

Oxidative stress has been linked to many obesity-related conditions among children including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Exposure to environmental chemicals such as phthalates, ubiquitously found in humans, may also generate reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative stress. We examined longitudinal changes of 8-isoprostane urinary concentrations, a validated biomarker of oxidative stress, and associations with maternal prenatal urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites for 258 children at 5, 9 and 14 years of age participating in a birth cohort residing in an agricultural area in California. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, and in utero exposure has been also linked to altered lipid metabolism, as well as adverse birth and neurodevelopmental outcomes. We found that median creatinine-corrected 8-isoprostane concentrations remained constant across all age groups and did not differ by sex. Total cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were positively associated with 8-isoprostane in 14-year-old children. No associations were observed between 8-isoprostane and body mass index (BMI), BMI Z-score or waist circumference at any age. Concentrations of three metabolites of high molecular weight phthalates measured at 13 weeks of gestation (monobenzyl, monocarboxyoctyl and monocarboxynonyl phthalates) were negatively associated with 8-isoprostane concentrations among 9-year olds. However, at 14 years of age, isoprostane concentrations were positively associated with two other metabolites (mono(2-ethylhexyl) and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalates) measured in early pregnancy. Longitudinal data on 8-isoprostane in this pediatric population with a high prevalence of obesity provides new insight on certain potential cardiometabolic risks of prenatal exposure to phthalates.

Maternal urinary paraben levels and offspring size at birth from a Chinese birth cohort

BackgroundParabens are suspected to impair fetal growth because of their endocrine disrupting effects. Epidemiological studies regarding the effects of prenatal exposure to parabens on birth outcomes are limited. ObjectivesOur aim was to evaluate the association between prenatal paraben exposure and size of infants at birth. MethodsWithin the longitudinal Healthy Baby Cohort (HBC) in Hubei Province, China, we randomly selected 1006 mother-infant pairs recruited in Wuhan City in 2014. Concentrations of parabens were measured in maternal urine collected before delivery. General linear models were used to analyze the associations of maternal parabens exposure levels with birth weight and birth length. ResultsThe specific gravity adjusted geometric means for urinary concentrations of methyl paraben (MeP), ethyl paraben (EtP), and propyl paraben (PrP) were 5.41, 0.11, and 0.94 ng/mL, respectively. Maternal urinary concentrations of parabens tended to be positively associated with birth weight in boys, while opposite trends were found in girls, though these associations were not significant. Higher maternal urinary levels of MeP were positively associated with birth length in boys (β = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.58 for the medium tertile, and β = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.58 for the highest tertile compared to the lowest tertile); however, no significant associations with birth length were observed in girls. ConclusionsMaternal urinary levels of MeP were positively associated with length at birth in boys. Besides, we did not find strong associations of the current exposure levels of parabens in Chinese pregnant women with size of infants at birth.

Maternal Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration During Midterm Pregnancy and Children's Blood Pressure at Age 4.

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been reported to be associated with adverse health effects, including high blood pressure (BP). BPA is also suspected to cross placenta in pregnancy and might affect children's health. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of prenatal exposure to BPA on the BP of the child at the age of 4. We followed up 645 children at the age of 4 who were born from women who participated midterm during their pregnancy in a birth cohort study from August 2008 to July 2011. Because BPA and BP showed nonlinear association, we constructed a piecewise regression model to examine the association between urinary BPA concentration of mother at around 20 weeks of gestation and BP of the child at age 4 and to determine threshold level of BPA for the association. Diastolic BP of the children was positively associated with maternal urinary concentration of BPA above the threshold level measured at around 20 weeks of gestation. For 1 log unit increment of prenatal urinary BPA concentration, diastolic BP was increased by 7.9 mm Hg (SE=2.072; P=0.0001) after adjusting potential confounders. Pulse pressure was decreased by -8.0 mm Hg (SE=2.528; P=0.0015). However, systolic BP was not significantly associated with prenatal BPA concentration. The present study suggests that exposure to BPA during pregnancy is associated with higher diastolic BP of the children above a certain threshold (4.5 μg/g creatinine).

Urinary iodine concentrations in mothers and their term newborns in country with sufficient iodine supply

Objective: The main aim of the study was to evaluate maternal and newborn urinary iodine concentrations according to the usage of iodine supplementation during pregnancy.Methods: Thirty-seven women with singleton uncomplicated pregnancies and their newborns were included in this study. Maternal urine samples were obtained at the time of delivery and on the third day after delivery. Newborn urine samples were obtained on the third day after delivery. Urinary iodine concentrations were determined by the alkaline ashing of urine specimens followed by the Sandell–Kolthoff reaction using brucine as a colorimetric marker.Result: The overall rate of the usage of iodine supplementation during pregnancy was 54% (20/37). Women who used the iodine supplementation during the pregnancy did not have different urinary iodine concentrations neither at the time of delivery (p = 0.23), nor on the third day after delivery (p = 0.65) in comparison to women without extra iodine supplementation. Newborns from pregnancies with regular iodine supplementation had higher urine iodine concentrations on the third day after delivery (p = 0.02). When women were split into several subgroups based on the daily dosage of iodine supplementation (200, 150, and 50 μg daily and without iodine supplementation), no differences were found in maternal urine iodine concentrations at the time of delivery (p = 0.51) and on the third day after delivery (p = 0.63). Different levels were found in newborn urine iodine concentrations among the subgroups of newborns from pregnancies with different daily doses of iodine supplementation and from pregnancies without iodine supplementation during pregnancy (p = 0.05).Conclusions: Iodine supplementation during pregnancy affects newborn urine concentrations but not maternal urine concentrations.

Prenatal phthalate biomarker concentrations and performance on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II in a population of young urban children

IntroductionEvidence suggests prenatal phthalate exposures may have neurodevelopmental consequences. Our objective was to investigate prenatal exposure to phthalates and cognitive development in a cohort of young urban children. Materials and methodsWe recruited pregnant women in New York City from 1998 to 2002 and measured concentrations of nine phthalate metabolites in urine collected in late pregnancy. We administered a neurodevelopmental screening instrument, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II), to children who returned for follow-up at approximately 24 months (n=276). We estimated associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations in maternal urine and BSID-II indices (Mental Development Index (MDI), Psychomotor Development Index (PDI)). ResultsWe observed no associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations and performance on the MDI or PDI in boys and girls combined. We did, however, observe evidence of effect measure modification by sex. We observed several negative associations between metabolite concentrations and both MDI and PDI scores among girls, suggesting poorer performance across multiple metabolites, with estimates equal to a 2–3 point decrease in score per ln-unit increase in creatinine-standardized metabolite concentration. Conversely, we observed multiple weakly positive associations among boys, equal to a 1–2 point increase in score per ln-unit increase in metabolite concentration. The strongest associations were for the metabolites mono-n-butyl phthalate, mono-isobutyl phthalate, monobenzyl phthalate, and mono(3-carboxylpropyl) phthalate (MCPP). ConclusionsGirls of mothers with higher urinary concentrations of MCPP and metabolites of dibutyl phthalates had lower MDI scores on the BSID-II. These same biomarker concentrations were often associated with improved scores among boys. We observed similar results for MnBP, MCPP, and MBzP on the PDI. Given the prevalence of phthalate exposures in reproductive aged women, the implications of potential neurotoxicity warrant further investigation.

Exposure to toxic metals during pregnancy in the Moscow region of Russia

Mounting evidence suggests that heavy metal exposure affect early life and can impact the developing brain. WHO has developed a standardized methodology for HBM surveys in maternities in order to assess prenatal exposure to mercury and other toxic metals . The goal of the survey in Russia was to adapt methodology to Russian settings and to provide preliminary, internationally comparable exposure data on prenatal exposure. The survey was designed as a cross-sectional, involving 120 women in birth from randomly selected six maternities of the Moscow Region. Mercury was determined by AAS with cold vapor; determination of lead, cadmium and arsenic was done using ICP MS. Levels of total mercury in maternal hair (geometric mean 0.21 µg/g), cord blood (0.89 µg/L) and maternal urine (0.27 µg/L) in this population were similar to those in other European countries with relatively low fish consumption. Geometric mean for lead in cord blood was 8 µg/L. No biomarker values for mercury and lead exceeded levels recommended by WHO or national agencies in the USA and Germany. Geometric mean for cadmium in urine was 0,20 µg/L, 13,3% of women exceeded health-related HBM-1 value recommended by German Commission for children; in 3,3% -for adults. Total arsenic concentrations in maternal urine (geometric mean 21,9 µg/L ; 95th percentile 142,5 µg/L ) were higher than NHANES 95th percentile for adults. Consumption of all types of fish at least once per week during the third trimester of pregnancy compared to fish consumption less than once per month was significantly associated with 31% (95% confidence interval 4%; 66%) higher predicted geometric mean level of total mercury in hair, 38% (9%; 74%) higher level in cord blood and 36% (2%; 81%) higher level in maternal urine. Adverse effects of prenatal exposures to studied pollutants in the general population of women in birth can be substantial. The application of standardized approaches will enhance targeted interventions.

Maternal urinary Triclosan concentration in relation to maternal and neonatal thyroid hormone levels: a prospective study

Introduction: Triclosan (TCS) is a synthetic antibacterial chemical widely used in personal care products, and also an endocrine disruptor. TCS exposure has been associated with decreased thyroid h...

Exposure to phthalates during pregnancy and thyroid hormones in pregnant women and newborns

Introduction: Phthalates are endocrine disrupting chemicals found in many consumer products. Prior evidence suggests that some phthalates may disrupt thyroid function, but the effect of phthalates on thyroid hormones in pregnant women and neonates has not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: We measured nine phthalate metabolites representing exposure to six parent phthalate diesters in urine collected at ~16 and 26 weeks gestation in a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort. We calculated the mean of 16 and 26 week metabolite concentrations and created exposure quartiles. We measured thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free and total thyroxine (FT4, TT4), and triiodothyronine (FT3, TT3) concentrations in maternal serum at ~16 weeks (n=184) and in cord serum (n=275). We estimated the associations of phthalates with maternal or cord thyroid hormones by multivariable linear regression. Results: Mothers in the 4th quartile of urinary monoethyl phthalate (MEP) had 0.05 ng/dL lower FT4 (95%CI -0.09, -0.01) compared to those in the 1st quartile (p-trend=0.02). Cord TSH was 19.8% lower among infants born to women in the 4th quartile of monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) (95%CI: -34.1, -2.3), compared to those in the 1st quartile (p-trend 0.03). Infants born to mothers in the 4th quartile of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites had decreased cord FT3 [-0.09 pg/mL (95%CI: -0.19, 0.01); p-trend=0.04] versus those in the 1st quartile. We observed marginally significant inverse trends of both MEP (p-trend=0.06) and monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP) (p-trend=0.06) with cord TT4. Conclusions: In this cohort, maternal urinary MEP was inversely associated with maternal FT4. Maternal urinary concentrations of MBzP, DEHP metabolites, MEP, and MiBP were inversely associated with cord thyroid hormones. These results suggest that maternal exposure to phthalates during pregnancy may disrupt maternal and cord thyroid hormones necessary for normal growth and neurodevelopment.

Maternal urinary concentrations of free and total bisphenol A (BPA) and BPA-alternatives in the APrON birth cohort

Introduction: Bisphenol A (BPA) has been widely used for manufacturing polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, and highly detectable in environmental and human samples. BPA is an endocrine disruptor in experimental models, and while epidemiological studies have examined BPA’s possible neurodevelopmental effects, results of these studies have been inconsistent. Biomonitoring data for BPA have mainly focused on total BPA in urine samples, with limited data on free BPA, and even less on BPA alternatives. Methods: In this study, in-line solid phase extraction – liquid chromatography – Orbitrap mass spectrometry was used to examine free and total BPA and BPA alternatives (bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol F (BPF)) in urine samples collected in the 2nd trimester from 480 pregnant women in the APrON birth cohort (Alberta, Canada). Maternal nutrient status (i.e. folate, zinc, n-3 fatty acids) was also measured in maternal blood at the same time point. Neurodevelopment of children was assessed at 2 years of age using the Bayley-III and Child Behavior Checklist. Results: Total BPA was detectable in 93% of urine samples (GM: 1.23 ng/mL; &lt;0.32 – 44 ng/mL), total BPS was detectable in 59% of urine samples (GM: 0.16 ng/mL; &lt;0.10 – 243 ng/mL), and total BPF was detectable in 10% of urine samples (&lt;1 – 390 ng/mL). The detection frequencies were less than 1% for free BPA, BPS and BPF in urine. Nevertheless, the highest free BPS and BPF concentrations were observed in urine that also contained the highest total BPS and BPF, and typically constituted &lt;1% of the total concentration. Conclusion: The metabolites constituted the majority (&gt;99%) of total BPA and BPA alternatives in urine samples. Mean population exposure to BPA was significantly higher than BPS, but maximum urinary levels of BPS (243 ng/mL) and BPF (390 ng/mL) were higher than maximum BPA (44 ng/mL). Preliminary associations among BPA, BPS, neurodevelopment and nutrient status will also be discussed.

Gestational exposure to phthalates and gender-related play behaviors in 8-year-old children: an observational study.

BackgroundPhthalates, used in a variety of consumer products, are a group of chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment, and their metabolites are detectable in most humans. Some phthalates have anti-androgenic properties; a prior study reported an association between gestational exposure to phthalates and reduced masculine behaviors in preschool boys.MethodsConcentrations of 9 phthalate metabolites were measured in urine collected at 16 and 26 weeks’ gestation from pregnant women enrolled in the HOME Study, a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort. Measures of gender-related play were collected at 8 years of age, including the Gender Identity Questionnaire (GIQ) completed by mothers, and the Playmate and Play Style Preferences Structured Interview (PPPSI) completed by children. We examined these measures as continuous variables using both bivariate and multivariable approaches with adjustment for covariates. Additional analyses included logistic regression of GIQ and PPPSI scores dichotomized by sex at the lower 25th percentile, indicating the least typical behavior.ResultsMothers’ phthalate metabolite concentrations during pregnancy were similar to the reported national average among US women. All children scored within a typical range on both measures of gender-related play behavior. No statistically significant associations were found between averaged maternal phthalate metabolite concentrations and continuous PPPSI scores or any GIQ scores. For the dichotomized PPPSI; higher maternal monoethyl phthalate (MEP) concentrations were associated with more typical play behaviors for females (OR = 0.70, CI = 0.51–0.97). In contrast, higher maternal mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) concentrations were associated with higher odds of membership in the least typical play behaviors group for males (OR = 1.69, CI = 1.00–2.86).ConclusionsIn this sample of typically developing children, higher maternal urinary MEP concentrations during pregnancy were associated with more typical gender-related play behaviors in both males and females, and increased urinary MiBP concentrations were associated with less masculine gender-related play behaviors in males.

Erratum to: Association of Bisphenol A Exposure with Breastfeeding and Perceived Insufficient Milk Supply in Mexican Women.

Introduction Estrogen inhibits lactation and bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production environmental estrogen. We hypothesize an inhibitory effect of BPA on lactation and aim to analyze the association between third trimester pregnancy urinary BPA and breastfeeding rates 1 month postpartum. Methods Odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) of breastfeeding and perceived insufficient milk supply (PIM) in relation to maternal peripartum urinary BPA concentrations were calculated in 216 mothers. Results 97.2 % of mothers in the lowest BPA tertile were breastfeeding at 1 month postpartum, compared to 89.9 % in highest (p = 0.01). Adjusted ORs (95 % CI) for not breastfeeding at 1 month were 1.9 (0.3, 10.7) and 4.3 (0.8, 21.6) for second and third BPA tertiles, respectively, compared to the lowest (p = 0.06, trend). 4.2 % reported PIM in the lowest BPA tertile, compared to 8.7 % in the highest (p = 0.03). Adjusted ORs (95 % CI) for PIM were 1.8 (0.4, 7.7) and 2.2 (0.5, 9.5), for the second and third BPA tertiles, respectively, compared to the lowest (p = 0.29, trend). Discussion These results suggest an association between maternal BPA exposure and decreased breastfeeding.

Maternal urinary cadmium concentrations in relation to preterm birth in the Healthy Baby Cohort Study in China

BackgroundPrenatal cadmium (Cd) exposure has been associated with adverse birth outcomes, but the findings of previous studies are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between prenatal Cd exposure and birth outcomes. MethodsThis study was conducted in 5364 pregnant women with a live singleton birth, who were recruited between September 2012 and October 2014 in the Healthy Baby Cohort (HBC) in Wuhan, China. Gestational age (in days) was estimated using both the woman's last menstrual period (LMP) and ultrasound data. All the birth outcomes including birth weight and birth length were measured in the hospital within one hour after birth through standardized procedures. Cd was measured in maternal urine collected before delivery with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. ResultsThe geometric mean of Cd concentration in maternal urine was 0.55 (range 0.01–2.85) μg/g creatinine. We found each ln-unit increase in Cd concentration (μg/g creatinine) in maternal urine was associated with decreased gestational age [adjusted β=−0.77day; 95% confidence interval (CI): −1.15, −0.39 for all infants; −0.77; 95% CI: −1.29, −0.25 for boys; and −0.80; 95% CI: −1.35, −0.25 for girls]. Increased likelihood of preterm birth (PTB) was associated with ln-unit increase in urinary Cd (μg/g creatinine) [adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.78; 95% CI: 1.45, 2.19 for all infants; 1.97; 95% CI: 1.46, 2.65 for boys; and 1.67; 95% CI: 1.24, 2.25 for girls]. Maternal urinary Cd was not significantly associated with low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA). ConclusionsMaternal exposure to Cd during pregnancy was associated with decreased gestational age and increased likelihood of PTB.

Prenatal phthalate exposure and infant size at birth and gestational duration

BackgroundPhthalate exposure is widespread. Prior research suggests that prenatal phthalate exposure may influence birth size and gestational duration, but published results have been inconsistent. ObjectiveWe quantified the relationship between maternal urinary phthalate concentrations and infant birth weight z-scores, length, head circumference, and gestational duration. MethodsIn a cohort of 368 women from the HOME Study, based in Cincinnati, OH, we measured nine phthalate metabolites representing exposure to six parent phthalate diesters in urine collected at approximately 16 and 26 weeks gestation. Infant birth size and gestational duration were abstracted from medical records. We used multivariable linear regression to estimate covariate adjusted associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and infant outcomes. ResultsIn unadjusted models, we observed a negative association between monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and birth weight z-scores, while mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) was positively associated with gestational duration. After covariate adjustment, phthalate metabolite concentrations were no longer associated with birth size or gestational duration. ConclusionsIn this cohort, urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations during pregnancy were not associated with infant birth size or gestational duration. Additional research is needed to determine if exposures during earlier periods of fetal development are associated with infant health.

Association of Bisphenol A Exposure with Breastfeeding and Perceived Insufficient Milk Supply in Mexican Women.

Introduction Estrogen inhibits lactation and bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production environmental estrogen. We hypothesize an inhibitory effect of BPA on lactation and aim to analyze the association between third trimester pregnancy urinary BPA and breastfeeding rates 1month postpartum. Methods Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of breastfeeding and perceived insufficient milk supply (PIM) in relation to maternal peripartum urinary BPA concentrations were calculated in 216 mothers. Results 97.2% of mothers in the lowest BPA tertile were breastfeeding at 1month postpartum, compared to 89.9% in highest (p=0.01). Adjusted ORs (95% CI) for not breastfeeding at 1month were 1.9 (0.3, 10.7) and 4.3 (0.8, 21.6) for second and third BPA tertiles, respectively, compared to the lowest (p=0.06, trend). 4.2% reported PIM in the lowest BPA tertile, compared to 8.7% in the highest (p=0.03). Adjusted ORs (95% CI) for PIM were 1.8 (0.4, 7.7) and 2.2 (0.5, 9.5), for the second and third BPA tertiles, respectively, compared to the lowest (p=0.29, trend). Discussion These results suggest an association between maternal BPA exposure and decreased breastfeeding.