RT Journal Article
T1 Placental weight in relation to maternal and paternal preconception and prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations among subfertile couples.
A1 Mustieles, Vicente
A1 Minguez-Alarcon, Lidia
A1 Christou, George
A1 Ford, Jennifer B
A1 Dimitriadis, Irene
A1 Hauser, Russ
A1 Souter, Irene
A1 Messerlian, Carmen
K1 Birth weight
K1 Phthalates
K1 Placental weight
K1 Preconception
K1 Prenatal exposure
AB Phthalates are known reproductive toxicants that reduce placental and fetal weight in experimental animal studies. Although phthalate exposure has been associated with reduced birth weight in humans, there is limited epidemiologic evidence on whether the placenta is also affected. To assess whether maternal and paternal preconception and prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations are associated with placental weight, and the birth weight: placental weight (BW:PW) ratio among singletons conceived by subfertile couples. The present analysis included 132 mothers and 68 fathers, and their corresponding 132 singletons recruited in an academic hospital fertility center in Boston, Massachusetts. Urinary concentrations of eleven phthalate metabolites were measured and averaged in multiple paternal (n = 196) and maternal (n = 596) preconception, and maternal prenatal (n = 328) samples. Placental weight and birth weight (grams) were abstracted from delivery records, and the BW:PW was calculated. We estimated the association of natural log-phthalate metabolite concentrations across windows of exposure with placental weight and the BW:PW ratio using multivariable linear regression models, adjusting for a priori covariates. In adjusted models, each log-unit increase in paternal urinary concentrations of the sum of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (ΣDEHP) metabolites was associated with a 24 g (95% CI: -48, -1) decrease in placental weight. We also observed a significant negative association between maternal preconception monoethyl phthalate (MEP) metabolite concentrations and the BW:PW ratio (β = -0.26; 95%CI: -0.49, -0.04). Additionally, each log-unit increase in prenatal MEP metabolite concentrations was associated with a 24 g (95% CI: -41, -7) decrease in placental weight. Our results suggest that certain paternal and maternal urinary phthalate metabolites may affect placental weight and the BW:PW ratio. However, given the small sample size within a subfertile cohort and the novelty of these findings, more studies are needed to confirm the present results.
PB Academic Press
YR 2018
FD 2018-11-15
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/13260
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/13260
LA en
NO Mustieles V, Mínguez-Alarcón L, Christou G, Ford JB, Dimitriadis I, Hauser R, et al. Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) Study Team. Placental weight in relation to maternal and paternal preconception and prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations among subfertile couples. Environ Res. 2019 Feb;169:272-279.
DS RISalud
RD Apr 19, 2025