Early Prenatal Phthalate Exposure, Sex Steroid Hormones, and Birth Outcomes.
Adequate sex steroid hormone concentrations are essential for normal fetal genital development in early pregnancy. Our previous study demonstrated an inverse relationship between third-trimester di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate exposure and total testosterone (TT) concentrations. Here, we examine early-pregnancy phthalates, sex steroid hormone concentrations, and newborn reproductive outcomes.



We examined associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in early pregnancy and serum free testosterone (FT), TT, estrone (E1), and estradiol (E2) in 591 woman/infant dyads in The Infant Development and Environment Study; we also examined relationships between hormones and newborn genital outcomes using multiple regression models with covariate adjustment.



E1 and E2 concentrations were 15% to 30% higher in relation to 1-unit increases in log monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate, and mono-2-ethyl-5-oxy-hexyl phthalate concentrations, and E2 was 15% higher in relation to increased log monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP). FT concentrations were 12% lower in relation to 1-unit increases in log mono(carboxynonyl) phthalate (MCNP) and mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate concentrations. Higher maternal FT was associated with a 25% lower prevalence of having a male genital abnormality at birth.



The positive relationships between MiBP, MBzP, and DEHP metabolites and E1/E2 are unique and suggest a positive estrogenic effect in early pregnancy. The inverse relationship between MCNP and DEHP metabolites and serum FT supports previous work examining phthalate/testosterone relationships later in pregnancy. Higher FT in relation to a 25% lower prevalence of male genital abnormalities confirms the importance of testosterone in early fetal development.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98121.|Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle, Washington 98121.
Sheela
S
Sathyanarayana
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6160.
Samantha
S
Butts
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Los Angeles, California 90502.
Christina
C
Wang
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642.
Emily
E
Barrett
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455.
Ruby
R
Nguyen
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195.|Epidemiology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109.
Stephen M
SM
Schwartz
Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle, Washington 98121.
Wren
W
Haaland
Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029.
Shanna H
SH
Swan
D000328:Adult; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000453:epidemiology; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000453:epidemiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007021:Hypospadias / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000652:urine*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000453:epidemiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014564:Urogenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D010795:Phthalic Acids; D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol