title: Association of prenatal perchlorate, thiocyanate, and nitrate exposure with neonatal size and gestational age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perchlorate and similar anions compete with iodine for uptake into the thyroid by the sodium iodide symporter (NIS). This may restrict fetal growth via impaired thyroid hormone production.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected urine samples from 107 pregnant women and used linear regression to estimate differences in newborn size and gestational age associated with increases in perchlorate, thiocyanate, nitrate, and perchlorate equivalence concentrations (PEC; measure of total NIS inhibitor exposure).
  
  
  RESULTS
  NIS inhibitor concentrations were not associated with newborn weight, length, or gestational age. Each 2.62ng/μg creatinine increase in perchlorate was associated with smaller head circumference (0.32cm; 95% CI: -0.66, 0.01), but each 3.38ng/μg increase in PEC was associated with larger head circumference (0.48cm; -0.01, 0.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These anions may have effects on fetal development (e.g. neurocognitive) that are not reflected in gross measures. Future research should focus on other abnormalities in neonates exposed to NIS inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA. Electronic address: Kristin_Evans@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Kristin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: David Q
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vetrano
authors.affiliation: Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Liza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Valentin-Blasini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela Ohman
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Strickland
authors.affiliation: Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Blount
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009566:Nitrates / Q000652:urine*; D010472:Perchlorates / Q000652:urine*; D011247:Pregnancy; D027981:Symporters / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013861:Thiocyanates / Q000652:urine*; D055815:Young Adult; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D010472:Perchlorates; D027981:Symporters; D013861:Thiocyanates; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters; C031760:thiocyanate; C494474:perchlorate
keywords: Birth weight; NIS inhibitors; Nitrate; Perchlorate; Prenatal; Thiocyanate