Journal
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
Volume 70, Issue -, Pages 118-124Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.05.016
Keywords
Phthalate; Pregnancy; Repeated measures; Longitudinal; Reproduction
Categories
Funding
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [R01ES018872, P42ES017198, R21 ES020811, P30ES017885]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Preterm birth is a significant public health problem, affecting over 1 in 10 live births and contributing largely to infant mortality and morbidity. Everyday exposure to environmental chemicals such as phthalates could contribute to prematurity, and may be modifiable. In the present study we examine variability in phthalate exposure across gestation and identify windows of susceptibility for the relationship with preterm birth. Methods: Women were recruited early in pregnancy as part of a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Urine samples were collected at up to 4 time points during gestation for phthalate measurement, and birth outcomes were recorded at delivery. From this population we selected all 130 cases of preterm birth, defined as delivery before 37 weeks of completed gestation, as well as 352 random controls. Results: Urinary phthalate metabolite levels were moderately variable over pregnancy, but levels measured at multiple time points were associated with increased odds of preterm birth. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for spontaneous preterm birth were strongest in association with phthalate metabolite concentrations measured at the beginning of the third trimester (aOR for summed di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites [Sigma DEHP] = 133, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02, 1.73). Odds ratios for placental preterm birth, defined as delivery with presentation of preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction, were slightly elevated in the first trimester for DEHP metabolites (aOR for Sigma DEHP = 133,95% CI = 0.99, 1.78). Conclusions: Pregnant women with exposure to phthalates both early and late in pregnancy are at an increased risk of delivering preterm, but mechanisms may differ based on etiology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available