Prenatal Phenol and Paraben Exposures and Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Prospective Analysis of U.S. Births

Leonardo Trasande; Morgan E Nelson; Akram Alshawabkeh; Emily S Barrett; Jessie P Buckley; Dana Dabelea; Anne L Dunlop; Julie B Herbstman; John D Meeker; Mrudula Naidu; Craig Newschaffer; Amy M Padula; Megan E Romano; Douglas M Ruden; Sheela Sathyanarayana; Susan L Schantz; Anne P Starling; Taylor Etzel; Ghassan B Hamra; collaborators in the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2023.108378

Prenatal Phenol and Paraben Exposures and Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Prospective Analysis of U.S. Births

Environ Int. 2024 Jan:183:108378. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108378. Epub 2023 Dec 12.

Authors

Leonardo Trasande¹, Morgan E Nelson², Akram Alshawabkeh³, Emily S Barrett⁴, Jessie P Buckley⁵, Dana Dabelea⁶, Anne L Dunlop⁷, Julie B Herbstman⁸, John D Meeker⁹, Mrudula Naidu¹⁰, Craig Newschaffer¹¹, Amy M Padula¹², Megan E Romano¹³, Douglas M Ruden¹⁴, Sheela Sathyanarayana¹⁵, Susan L Schantz¹⁶, Anne P Starling¹⁷, Taylor Etzel¹⁸, Ghassan B Hamra¹⁸; collaborators in the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Environmental Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; NYU Wagner School of Public Service, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
³ Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁶ Lifecourse Epidemiology Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
⁷ Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
⁸ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
⁹ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Environmental Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
¹¹ College of Human Health and Development, Penn State University, Hershey, PA, USA.
¹² Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
¹³ Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.
¹⁵ Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
¹⁶ Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.
¹⁷ Lifecourse Epidemiology Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
¹⁸ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Abstract

Background: Synthetic chemicals are increasingly being recognized for potential independent contributions to preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW). Bisphenols, parabens, and triclosan are consumer product chemicals that act via similar mechanisms including estrogen, androgen, and thyroid disruption and oxidative stress. Multiple cohort studies have endeavored to examine effects on birth outcomes, and systematic reviews have been limited due to measurement of 1-2 spot samples during pregnancy and limited diversity of populations.

Objective: To study the effects of prenatal phenols and parabens on birth size and gestational age (GA) in 3,619 mother-infant pairs from 11 cohorts in the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes program.

Results: While many associations were modest and statistically imprecise, a 1-unit increase in log₁₀ pregnancy averaged concentration of benzophenone-3 and methylparaben were associated with decreases in birthweight, birthweight adjusted for gestational age and SGA. Increases in the odds of being SGA were 29% (95% CI: 5%, 58%) and 32% (95% CI: 3%, 70%), respectively. Bisphenol S in third trimester was also associated with SGA (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.08, 2.13). Associations of benzophenone-3 and methylparaben with PTB and LBW were null. In addition, a 1-unit increase in log₁₀ pregnancy averaged concentration of 2,4-dichlorophenol was associated with 43% lower (95% CI: -67%, -2%) odds of low birthweight; the direction of effect was the same for the highly correlated 2,5-dichlorophenol, but with a smaller magnitude (-29%, 95% CI: -53%, 8%).

Discussion: In a large and diverse sample generally representative of the United States, benzophenone-3 and methylparaben were associated with lower birthweight as well as birthweight adjusted for gestational age and higher odds of SGA, while 2,4-dichlorophenol. These associations with smaller size at birth are concerning in light of the known consequences of intrauterine growth restriction for multiple important health outcomes emerging later in life.

MeSH terms

Benzophenones*
Birth Weight
Child
Chlorophenols*
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Parabens* / analysis
Phenol
Phenols / analysis
Pregnancy
Premature Birth*
United States

Substances

oxybenzone
methylparaben
Parabens
Phenol
2,4-dichlorophenol
Phenols
Benzophenones
Chlorophenols

Abstract

MeSH terms

Substances

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