Prenatal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Affects Child's Metabolic Health

FRIDAY, May 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with adverse metabolic health in children, according to a study published online May 23 in JAMA Network Open.

Nuria Güil-Oumrait, from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain, and colleagues examined associations of prenatal exposure to EDC mixtures with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk score in children in a population-based, birth cohort study. Mother-child pairs with measured prenatal EDC exposures and complete data on childhood MetS risk factors, proteins, and metabolites were included; the study included 1,134 mothers and their children.

The researchers found that for each one-quartile increase of the mixture for metals, organochlorine pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and perfluoroalkyl substances, there was an increase in the MetS score, constructed at 6 to 11 years of age (β = 0.44, 0.22, 0.17, and 0.19, respectively). Associations were seen for high-molecular weight phthalate mixture and low-molecular-weight phthalate mixtures with a reduced MetS score (β = −0.07 and −0.13, respectively). Elevated proinflammatory proteins, amino acids, and altered glycerophospholipids, which were associated with an increased MetS score, were seen in association with most EDC mixtures.

"These findings advance our limited understanding of metabolic effects of EDC mixtures in early life and can inform more efficient early-life prevention and intervention strategies to address rising trends in MetS across the life course," the authors write.

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