Transplacental passage of antimicrobial paraben preservatives

Abstract

Parabens are widely used preservatives suspected of being endocrine disruptors, with implications for human growth and development. The most common paraben found in consumer products is methylparaben. To date, no study has examined whether these substances cross the human placenta. A total of 100 study subjects (50 mother-child pairs) were enrolled at two medical institutions, serving primarily African-American and Caucasian women, respectively. A maternal blood sample was drawn on admission and a paired cord blood sample was obtained at delivery. Of the 50 mothers, 47 (94%) showed methylparaben in their blood (mean level 20.41 ng/l), and 47 in cords bloods (mean level 36.54 ng/l). There were 45 mother-child pairs where methylparaben was found in both samples. Of these, the fetal level was higher than the maternal level in 23 (51%). For butylparaben, only 4 mothers (8%) showed detectable levels (mean 40.54 ng/l), whereas 8 cord blood samples (16%) were positive (mean 32.5 ng/l). African-American mothers and infants showed higher prevalence of detectable levels (P=0.017). Methylparaben and butylparaben demonstrate transplacental passage. Additional studies are needed to examine potential differences in exposure by geography and demographics, what products are used by pregnant women that contain these preservatives, as well as any potential long-term effects in the growth and development of exposed children.

Pancreatic beta cells are a sensitive target of embryonic exposure to butylparaben in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

“…Butylparaben is a lipophilic paraben, with a log K ow of 3.24 (Golden, Gandy, & Vollmer, ). Studies have identified butylparaben in cord blood (Towers et al, ), in placental tissues (Jimenez‐Diaz et al, ), and in amniotic fluid (Philippat et al, ), demonstrating an ability to cross the placenta and a likely risk for direct fetal exposure to butylparaben. However, little is known about the developmental effects of butylparaben, or which embryonic stages are the most susceptible windows of exposure.…”

Changes in mammary histology and transcriptome profiles by low-dose exposure to environmental phenols at critical windows of development

“…Triclosan (TCS) is commonly used as an antimicrobial agent in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, toys and medical devices, with major exposure occurring via dermal and oral routes (Yueh and Tukey 2016). Both chemicals have been detected in breast milk (Ye, et al 2008) MPB was detected in human placenta (Towers, et al 2015) and TCS was found to accumulate in rodent placenta (Feng, et al 2016; Wang, et al 2015). Moreover, both chemicals were detected in cord blood (Pycke, et al 2014; Pycke, et al 2015), indicating that MPB and TCS can enter the fetal environment through placental transfer, and also be transferred via breast milk.…”

Young Women`s Opinions about the Use of Cosmetics and Its Impact on Health

“…Gausus kosmetikos, ypač makiažo ir parfumerijos priemonių, vartojimas nėštumo bei kūdikio žindymo laikotarpiu taip pat kelia susirūpinimą. Kai kurios medžiagos patenka į sisteminę kraujotaką, yra linkusios kauptis organizme, geba praeiti pro placentos barjerą, o laktacijos periodu patenka į motinos pieną (Pycke et al, 2015;Towers et al, 2015). Tokių medžiagų reikėtų pradėti vengti jau planuojant nėštumą.…”