title: Prenatal phthalate exposure and infant size at birth and gestational duration.
abstract: Phthalate exposure is widespread. Prior research suggests that prenatal phthalate exposure may influence birth size and gestational duration, but published results have been inconsistent.
  
  
  
  We quantified the relationship between maternal urinary phthalate concentrations and infant birth weight z-scores, length, head circumference, and gestational duration.
  
  
  
  In a cohort of 368 women from the HOME Study, based in Cincinnati, OH, we measured nine phthalate metabolites representing exposure to six parent phthalate diesters in urine collected at approximately 16 and 26 weeks gestation. Infant birth size and gestational duration were abstracted from medical records. We used multivariable linear regression to estimate covariate adjusted associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and infant outcomes.
  
  
  
  In unadjusted models, we observed a negative association between monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and birth weight z-scores, while mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) was positively associated with gestational duration. After covariate adjustment, phthalate metabolite concentrations were no longer associated with birth size or gestational duration.
  
  
  
  In this cohort, urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations during pregnancy were not associated with infant birth size or gestational duration. Additional research is needed to determine if exposures during earlier periods of fetal development are associated with infant health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Shoaff
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yolton
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada; Child and Family Research Institute, BC Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Bruce P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lanphear
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Antonia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Calafat
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA. Electronic address: joseph_braun_1@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Braun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D002508:Cephalometry; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D009820:Ohio; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010795:Phthalic Acids
keywords: Birth outcomes; Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Exposure; Phthalate; Prenatal