In Utero Exposure to Select Phenols and Phthalates and Respiratory Health in Five-Year-Old Boys: A Prospective Study

Abstract

Background:Phenols and phthalates may have immunomodulatory and proinflammatory effects and thereby adversely affect respiratory health.Objective:We estimated the associations between gestational exposure to select phthalates and phenols and respiratory health in boys.Methods:Among 587 pregnant women from the EDEN (Etude des Déterminants pré et post natals du développement et de la santé de l’Enfant) cohort who delivered a boy, 9 phenols and 11 phthalates metabolites were quantified in spot pregnancy urine samples. Respiratory outcomes were followed up by questionnaires until age 5, when forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was measured by spirometry. Adjusted associations of urinary metabolites log–transformed concentrations with respiratory outcomes and FEV1 in percent predicted (FEV1%) were estimated by survival and linear regression models, respectively.Results:No phenol or phthalate metabolite exhibited clear deleterious associations simultaneously with several respiratory outcomes. Ethyl-paraben was associated with increased asthma rate [hazard rate (HR)=1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.21] and tended to be negatively associated with FEV1% (beta=−0.59; 95% CI: −1.24, 0.05); bisphenol A tended to be associated with increased rates of asthma diagnosis (HR=1.23; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.55) and bronchiolitis/bronchitis (HR=1.13; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.30). Isolated trends for deleterious associations were also observed between 2,5-dichlorophenol and wheezing, and between monocarboxynonyl phthalate, a metabolite of di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP), and wheezing.Conclusion:Ethyl-paraben, bisphenol A, 2,5-dichlorophenol, and DIDP tended to be associated with altered respiratory health, with ethyl-paraben and bisphenol A exhibiting some consistency across respiratory outcomes. The trends between bisphenol A pregnancy level and increased asthma and bronchiolitis/bronchitis rates in childhood were consistent with a previous cohort study. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1015

Prenatal high molecular weight phthalates and bisphenol A, and childhood respiratory and allergic outcomes

“…Our results also agree with the cross‐sectional associations found between MCOP, MCNP, and MCPP and asthma in participants aged 18 and over in the 2005‐2006 NHANES study . However, a French birth cohort study found no association between prenatal urinary concentrations of these chemicals and asthma or FEV 1 at age 5 …”

“…35 However, a French birth cohort study found no association between prenatal urinary concentrations of these chemicals and asthma or FEV 1 at age 5. 36 Our study found many null associations, which could indicate a true lack of association or low power to detect associations due to low sample size. Specifically, unlike several other studies, 12 we did not find associations of in utero exposures to DEHP, BBzP, or BPA and probable asthma or allergy risk.…”

“…Mothers provided spot urine samples at two interviews during pregnancy (first interview: mean 13 weeks' gestation, range 5-27; second interview: mean 26 weeks' gestation, range [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. Phthalate-and BPA-free polypropylene urine cups were used to collect urine, which was aliquoted into glass vials and stored at −80°C until shipment to the CDC.…”

Maternal phthalate exposure and asthma, rhinitis and eczema in 552 children aged 5 years; a prospective cohort study

“…In this prospective cohort with lower phthalate exposure than similar previously reported cohorts [7,8,12,18,19] we found no consistent associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and allergic outcomes in the offspring aged 5 years. Interestingly, prenatal DiNP and DEHP exposure tended to increase the risk of rhinitis, although not statistically significant.…”

“…Phthalates have short biological half-lives from hours to a few days, but because exposure is ubiquitous, exposure levels may be relatively constant [5,6]. We identified 14 prospective cohort studies [5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] examining the association between prenatal phthalate exposure and asthma or allergy. Findings are inconsistent probably because different metabolites have been measured and the age of the children varied.…”