Prenatal Exposure to Nonpersistent Chemical Mixtures and Fetal Growth: A Population-Based Study
Michiel A. van den Dries, Alexander P. Keil, Henning Tiemeier, Anjoeka Pronk, Suzanne Spaan, Susana Santos, Alexandros G. Asimakopoulos, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Romy Gaillard, Mònica Guxens, Leonardo Trasande, Vincent W. V. Jaddoe, Kelly K. Ferguson
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to mixtures of nonpersistent chemicals is universal. Most studies examining these chemicals in association with fetal growth have been restricted to single exposure models, ignoring their potentially cumulative impact. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the association between prenatal exposure to a mixture of phthalates, bisphenols, and organophosphate (OP) pesticides and fetal measures of head circumference, femur length, and weight. METHODS: of gestation, and measurements of head circumference, length, and weight were performed at delivery. We estimated the difference in each fetal measurement per quartile increase in all exposures within the mixture with quantile g-computation. RESULTS: were similar for femur length; however, no differences were observed at birth. No associations were observed for head circumference. DISCUSSION: Higher exposure to a mixture of phthalates, bisphenols, and OP pesticides was associated with lower EFW in the midpregnancy period. In late pregnancy, these differences were similar but less pronounced. At birth, the only associations observed appeared when comparing individuals from Q1 and Q4. This finding suggests that even low levels of exposure may be sufficient to influence growth in early pregnancy, whereas higher levels may be necessary to affect birth weight. Joint exposure to nonpersistent chemicals may adversely impact fetal growth, and because these exposures are widespread, this impact could be substantial. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9178.