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Prenatal exposures to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals and sex-specific associations with children's BMI and overweight at 5.5 years of age in the SELMA study

Svensson, Katherine ; Gennings, Chris ; Lindh, Christian LU orcid ; Kiviranta, Hannu ; Rantakokko, Panu ; Wikström, Sverre and Bornehag, Carl Gustaf (2023) In Environment International 179.
Abstract

Background: Prenatal exposure to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) has the potential to disrupt human metabolism. Prenatal periods are especially sensitive as many developmental processes are regulated by hormones. Prenatal exposure to EDCs has inconsistently been associated with children's body mass index (BMI) and obesity. The objective of this study was to investigate if prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with children's BMI and overweight (ISO-BMI ≥ 25) at 5.5 years of age, and if there were sex-specific effects. Methods: A total of 1,105 mother–child pairs with complete data on prenatal EDCs concentrations (e.g., phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, phenols, PAH, pesticides, PFAS, organochlorine... (More)

Background: Prenatal exposure to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) has the potential to disrupt human metabolism. Prenatal periods are especially sensitive as many developmental processes are regulated by hormones. Prenatal exposure to EDCs has inconsistently been associated with children's body mass index (BMI) and obesity. The objective of this study was to investigate if prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with children's BMI and overweight (ISO-BMI ≥ 25) at 5.5 years of age, and if there were sex-specific effects. Methods: A total of 1,105 mother–child pairs with complete data on prenatal EDCs concentrations (e.g., phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, phenols, PAH, pesticides, PFAS, organochlorine pesticides, and PCBs), children's measured height and weight, and selected covariates in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy (SELMA) study were included in this analysis. The mixture effect of EDCs with children's BMI and overweight was assessed using WQS regression with 100 repeated holdouts. A positively associated WQS index with higher BMI and odds of overweight was derived. Models with interaction term and stratified weights by sex was applied in order to evaluate sex-specific associations. Results: A significant WQS*sex interaction term was identified and associations for boys and girls were in opposite directions. Higher prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with lower BMI (Mean β = -0.19, 95%CI: −0.40, 0.01) and lower odds of overweight (Mean OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.48, 1.04) among girls with borderline significance. However, the association among boys did not reach statistical significance. Among girls, the possible chemicals of concern were MEP, 2-OHPH, BPF, BPS, DPP and PFNA. Conclusion: Prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with lower BMI and overweight among girls, and non-significant associations among boys. Chemicals of concern for girls included phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, bisphenols, PAHs, and PFAS.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
BMI, Child, EDC, Endocrine disrupting chemicals, Overweight, Pregnancy
in
Environment International
volume
179
article number
108176
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:37672941
  • scopus:85169918152
ISSN
0160-4120
DOI
10.1016/j.envint.2023.108176
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Funding Information: The authors thank the participating families, staff of the SELMA study, and the antenatal care in the County Council of Värmland. We also posthumously thank Professor Bo Jönsson of Lund University, Sweden for his work with the chemical analyses in the present study. We also thank Åsa Amilon, Margareta Maxe and Agneta Kristensen for their work with chemical analysis. We thank Dr. Aimon Niklasson for computational support. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors
id
08567f48-6e16-4e2d-b813-c248841331ad
date added to LUP
2023-09-26 10:34:43
date last changed
2024-04-19 01:41:38
@article{08567f48-6e16-4e2d-b813-c248841331ad,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Prenatal exposure to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) has the potential to disrupt human metabolism. Prenatal periods are especially sensitive as many developmental processes are regulated by hormones. Prenatal exposure to EDCs has inconsistently been associated with children's body mass index (BMI) and obesity. The objective of this study was to investigate if prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with children's BMI and overweight (ISO-BMI ≥ 25) at 5.5 years of age, and if there were sex-specific effects. Methods: A total of 1,105 mother–child pairs with complete data on prenatal EDCs concentrations (e.g., phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, phenols, PAH, pesticides, PFAS, organochlorine pesticides, and PCBs), children's measured height and weight, and selected covariates in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy (SELMA) study were included in this analysis. The mixture effect of EDCs with children's BMI and overweight was assessed using WQS regression with 100 repeated holdouts. A positively associated WQS index with higher BMI and odds of overweight was derived. Models with interaction term and stratified weights by sex was applied in order to evaluate sex-specific associations. Results: A significant WQS*sex interaction term was identified and associations for boys and girls were in opposite directions. Higher prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with lower BMI (Mean β = -0.19, 95%CI: −0.40, 0.01) and lower odds of overweight (Mean OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.48, 1.04) among girls with borderline significance. However, the association among boys did not reach statistical significance. Among girls, the possible chemicals of concern were MEP, 2-OHPH, BPF, BPS, DPP and PFNA. Conclusion: Prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with lower BMI and overweight among girls, and non-significant associations among boys. Chemicals of concern for girls included phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, bisphenols, PAHs, and PFAS.</p>}},
  author       = {{Svensson, Katherine and Gennings, Chris and Lindh, Christian and Kiviranta, Hannu and Rantakokko, Panu and Wikström, Sverre and Bornehag, Carl Gustaf}},
  issn         = {{0160-4120}},
  keywords     = {{BMI; Child; EDC; Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Overweight; Pregnancy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Environment International}},
  title        = {{Prenatal exposures to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals and sex-specific associations with children's BMI and overweight at 5.5 years of age in the SELMA study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108176}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.envint.2023.108176}},
  volume       = {{179}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}