Background: Data concerning the effects of prenatal exposures to phthalates and phenols on fetal growth are limited in humans. Previous findings suggest possible effects of some phenols on male birth weight.Objective: Our aim was to assess the relationships between prenatal exposures to phthalates and phenols and fetal growth among male newborns.Methods: We conducted a case–control study on male malformations of the genitalia nested in two French mother–child cohorts with recruitment between 2002 and 2006. We measured, in maternal urinary samples collected between 6 and 30 gestational weeks, the concentrations (micrograms per liter) of 9 phenol (n = 191 pregnant women) and 11 phthalate metabolites (n = 287). Weight, length, and head circumference at birth were collected from maternity records. Statistical analyses were corrected for the oversampling of malformation cases.Results: Adjusted birth weight decreased by 77 g [95% confidence interval (CI): –129, –25] and by 49 g (95% CI: –86, –13) in association with a 1-unit increase in ln-transformed 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) and 2,5-DCP urinary concentrations, respectively. Benzophenone-3 (BP3) ln-transformed concentrations were positively associated with weight (26 g; 95% CI: –2, 54) and head circumference at birth (0.1 cm; 95% CI: 0.0, 0.2). Head circumference increased by 0.3 cm (95% CI: 0.0, 0.7) in association with a 1-unit increase in ln-transformed BPA concentration. For phthalate metabolites there was no evidence of monotonic associations with birth weight.Conclusions: Consistent with findings of a previous study, we observed evidence of an inverse association of 2,5-DCP and a positive association of BP3 with male birth weight.

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Background Phenols interact with nuclear receptors implicated in growth and adipogenesis regulation. Only a few studies have explored their effects on growth in humans. Objectives We studied the associations of maternal exposure to phenols during pregnancy with prenatal and postnatal growth of male newborns. Methods Within a cohort of women recruited during pregnancy, we selected 520 mother–son pairs and quantified 9 phenols in spot urine samples collected during pregnancy. We used ultrasonography during pregnancy, together with birth measurements, to assess fetal growth. We modeled individual postnatal growth trajectories from repeated measures of weight and height in the first 3 years of life. Results Triclosan concentration was negatively associated with growth parameters measured at the third ultrasound examination but not earlier in pregnancy. At birth, this phenol tended to be negatively associated with head circumference (−1.2 mm for an interquartile range [IQR] increase in ln-transformed triclosan concentration [95% confidence interval = −2.6 to 0.3]) but not with weight or height. Parabens were positively associated with weight at birth. This positive association remained for 3 years for methylparaben (β = 193 g [−4 to 389]) for an IQR increase in ln-transformed concentrations. Conclusion We relied on only 1 spot urine sample to assess exposure; because of the high variability in phenol urinary concentrations reported during pregnancy, using only 1 sample may result in exposure misclassification, in particular for bisphenol A. Our study suggested associations between prenatal exposure to parabens and triclosan and prenatal or early postnatal growth.

Background: Maternal urinary biomarkers are often used to assess fetal exposure to phenols and their precursors. Their effectiveness as a measure of exposure in epidemiological studies depends on their variability during pregnancy and their ability to accurately predict fetal exposure.Objectives: We assessed the relationship between urinary and amniotic fluid concentrations of nine environmental phenols, and the reproducibility of urinary concentrations, among pregnant women.Methods: Seventy-one women referred for amniocentesis were included. Maternal urine was collected at the time of the amniocentesis appointment and on two subsequent occasions. Urine and amniotic fluid were analyzed for 2,4- and 2,5-dichlorophenols, bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, triclosan, and methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butylparabens using online solid phase extraction–high performance liquid chromatography–isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry.Results: Only benzophenone-3 and propylparaben were detectable in more than half of the amniotic fluid samples; for these phenols, concentrations in amniotic fluid and maternal urine collected on the same day were positively correlated (ρ = 0.53 and 0.32, respectively). Other phenols were detected infrequently in amniotic fluid (e.g., bisphenol A was detected in only two samples). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of urinary concentrations in samples from individual women ranged from 0.48 and 0.62 for all phenols except bisphenol A (ICC = 0.11).Conclusion: Amniotic fluid detection frequencies for most phenols were low. The reproducibility of urine measures was poor for bisphenol A, but good for the other phenols. Although a single sample may provide a reasonable estimate of exposure for some phenols, collecting multiple urine samples during pregnancy is an option to reduce exposure measurement error in studies regarding the effects of phenol prenatal exposure on health.Citation: Philippat C, Wolff MS, Calafat AM, Ye X, Bausell R, Meadows M, Stone J, Slama R, Engel SM. 2013. Prenatal exposure to environmental phenols: concentrations in amniotic fluid and variability in urinary concentrations during pregnancy. Environ Health Perspect 121:1225–1231; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206335

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

Background:Sex-specific associations have been reported between phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and child behavior. No data on large study populations are available for other phenols with possible endocrine-disrupting properties.Objectives:We aimed to study associations between prenatal exposure to phthalates and several phenols on behavior among male infants.Methods:We quantified 11 phthalate metabolites and nine phenols (four parabens, benzophenone-3, BPA, two dichlorophenols, triclosan) in spot urine samples collected during pregnancy among EDEN cohort mothers who delivered a boy. Mothers completed the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) when their children were 3.1 (n=529) and 5.6 (n=464) y old.Results:BPA was positively associated with the relationship problems subscale at 3 y [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.20] and the hyperactivity–inattention subscale scores at 5 y (IRR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.14). Mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) was positively associated with internalizing behavior, relationship problem, and emotional symptom scores at 3 y. Monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) was positively associated with internalizing behavior and relationship problems scores at 3 y. After dichotomizing SDQ scores, triclosan tended to be positively associated with emotional symptom subscales at both 3 and 5 y.Conclusions:The observed associations between BPA, MnBP, and behavior in boys are consistent with previous findings. Further health impact assessment studies based on dose–response functions corrected for exposure misclassification are required to quantify the public health burden possibly entailed by such associations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1314

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