MPC Member Publications

This database contains a listing of population studies publications written by MPC Members. Anyone can add a publication by an MPC student, faculty, or staff member to this database; new citations will be reviewed and approved by MPC administrators.

Full Citation

Title: Prenatal exposures to phthalates and life events stressors in relation to child behavior at age 4–6: A combined cohort analysis

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2024

ISSN: 0160-4120

DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2024.108425

Abstract: Prenatal exposures to chemical and psychosocial stressors can impact the developing brain, but few studies have examined their joint effects. We examined associations between prenatal phthalate exposures and child behavior, hypothesizing that prenatal stressful life events (PSLEs) may exacerbate risks. To do so, we harmonized data from three U.S. pregnancy cohorts comprising the ECHO-PATHWAYS consortium. Phthalate metabolites were measured in single mid-pregnancy urine samples. When children were ages 4–6 years, mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), from which a Total Problems score was calculated. Mothers additionally provided recall on their exposure to 14 PSLEs during pregnancy. Primary models examined problem behaviors in relation to: (1) phthalate mixtures calculated through weighted quantile sums regression with permutation test-derived p-values; and (2) joint exposure to phthalate mixtures and PSLEs (counts) using interaction terms. We subsequently refitted models stratified by child sex. Secondarily, we fit linear and logistic regression models examining individual phthalate metabolites. In our main, fully adjusted models (n = 1536 mother–child dyads), we observed some evidence of weak main effects of phthalate mixtures on problem behaviors in the full cohort and stratified by child sex. Interaction models revealed unexpected relationships whereby greater gestational exposure to PSLEs predicted reduced associations between some phthalates (e.g., the metabolites of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate, di-iso-nonyl phthalate) and problem behaviors, particularly in males. Few associations were observed in females. Additional research is needed to replicate results and examine potential mechanisms.

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Barrett, Emily S.; Day, Drew B.; Szpiro, Adam; Peng, James; Loftus, Christine T.; Ziausyte, Ugne; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Trasande, Leonardo; Zhao, Qi; Nguyen, Ruby H.N.; Swan, Shanna; Karr, Catherine J.; LeWinn, Kaja Z.; Sathyanarayana, Sheela; Bush, Nicole R.

Periodical (Full): Environment International

Issue:

Volume: 183

Pages: 108425

Countries:

IPUMS NHGIS NAPP IHIS ATUS Terrapop