Elsevier

Fertility and Sterility

Volume 116, Issue 3, September 2021, Pages 820-832
Fertility and Sterility

Original article
Prenatal urinary concentrations of phenols and risk of preterm birth: exploring windows of vulnerability

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.03.053Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Objective

To explore windows of vulnerability to prenatal urinary phenol concentrations and preterm birth.

Design

Prospective cohort.

Setting

A large fertility center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Patient(s)

A total of 386 mothers who sought fertility treatment and gave birth to a singleton between 2005 and 2018.

Intervention(s)

None.

Main outcome measure(s)

Singleton live birth with gestational age <37 completed weeks.

Result(s)

Compared with women with non-preterm births, urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations were higher across gestation among women with preterm births, particularly during mid-to-late pregnancy and among those with female infants. Second trimester BPA concentrations were associated with preterm birth (Risk Ratio [RR] 1.24; 95%CI: 0.92, 1.69), which was primarily driven by female (RR 1.40; 95%CI: 1.04, 1.89) and not male (RR 0.85; 95%CI 0.50, 1.46) infants. First trimester paraben concentrations were also associated with preterm birth (RR 1.17; 95%CI: 0.94, 1.46) and similarly the association was only observed for female (RR 1.46; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.94) and not male infants (RR 0.94; 95%CIC: 0.72, 1.23). First trimester urinary bisphenol S concentrations showed a suggested risk of preterm birth (RR 1.25; 95%CI: 0.82, 1.89), although the small case numbers precluded sex-specific examination.

Conclusion(s)

We found preliminary evidence of associations between mid-to-late pregnancy BPA and early pregnancy paraben concentrations with preterm birth among those with female infants only. Preterm birth risk may be compound, sex, and window specific. Given the limited sample size of this cohort, results should be confirmed in larger studies, including fertile populations.

Concentraciones urinarias prenatales de fenoles y riesgo de parto prematuro: explorando ventanas de vulnerabilidad.

Objetivo

Explorar ventanas o intervalos de vulnerabilidad a concentraciones de fenol en orina prenatal y al su asociación con parto prematuro.

Diseño

Cohorte prospectiva.

Entorno

Gran centro de fertilidad en Boston, Massachusetts.

Paciente (s)

Un total de 386 madres que buscaron tratamiento de fertilidad y dieron a luz a un hijo único entre 2005 y 2018.

Intervención (es)

Ninguna.

Medida (s) de resultado principal

Nacidos vivos únicos con edad gestacional <37 semanas completas.

Resultado (s)

En comparación con las mujeres con partos no prematuros, las concentraciones urinarias de Bisfenol A (BPA) fueron más altas durante las gestaciones de mujeres con partos prematuros, particularmente durante el periodo medio o tardío del embarazo y entre las que ya tienen bebés. Las concentraciones de BPA en el segundo trimestre se asociaron con el parto prematuro (índice de riesgo [RR] 1,24; IC del 95%: 0,92, 1,69), que se llevó a cabo principalmente en bebés femeninos (RR 1,40; IC del 95%: 1,04; 1,89) y no en varones (RR 0,85; IC del 95%: 0,50; 1,46). Las concentraciones de parabenos durante el primer trimestre también se asociaron con el parto prematuro (RR 1,17; IC del 95%: 0,94, 1,46) y, de manera similar, la asociación solo se observó

para los bebés femeninos (RR 1,46; IC del 95%: 1,10; 1,94) y no en varones (RR 0,94; IC del 95%: 0,72; 1,23).

Las concentraciones de Bisfenol S en orina del primer trimestre mostraron un posible riesgo de parto prematuro (RR 1,25; IC del 95%: 0,82, 1,89), aunque el pequeño número de casos impidió un examen específico por sexo.

Conclusión (es)

Encontramos evidencia preliminar de asociaciones entre las concentraciones de BPA en el embarazo medio y tardío, y de parabeno al comienzo del embarazo con parto prematuro entre aquellos con bebés femeninos solamente. El riesgo de parto prematuro puede ser compuesto, por sexo y ventana específico. Dado el limitado tamaño de la muestra de esta cohorte, los resultados deben confirmarse en estudios más amplios, incluidas en las poblaciones fértiles.

Key Words

Bisphenol A
phenols
pregnancy
preterm birth

Cited by (0)

Y.Z. has nothing to disclose. V.M. has nothing to disclose. P.L.W. has nothing to disclose. J.Y. has nothing to disclose. I.S. has nothing to disclose. J.M.B. has nothing to disclose. A.M.C. has nothing to disclose. R.H. has nothing to disclose. C.M. has nothing to disclose.

Supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01ES031657, ES009718, and ES000002. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the investigators and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the CDC, the Public Health Service, or the US Department of Health and Human Services.