Prenatal exposure to mercury and precocious puberty: a prospective birth cohort study

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Is in utero exposure to mercury associated with the risk of precocious puberty? SUMMARY ANSWER Prenatal exposure to high levels of mercury was associated with increased risk of precocious puberty, which was strengthened by concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions and adverse birth outcomes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The developing fetus is sensitive to mercury, a well-known endocrine disruptor which impacts the endocrine and reproductive system. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study included 1512 mother–child pairs from the Boston Birth Cohort, a longitudinal cohort which recruited at birth and followed prospectively up to 21 years of age. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Mother–child pairs, from a predominantly urban minority population, were enrolled from 2002 to 2013. Prenatal exposure was assessed by maternal mercury concentration in red blood cells (RBCs) collected at 1–3 days after delivery. Precocious puberty was defined based on International Classification of Disease codes. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to the association between maternal mercury concentrations and the risk of precocious puberty. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The median (interquartile range) of maternal mercury concentrations among children with and without precocious puberty were 3.4 (1.9–4.6) µg/l and 2.0 (1.0–3.7) µg/l, respectively. Compared to those in the lowest tertile for mercury, the highest tertile was associated with increased risk of precocious puberty, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.41, 95% CI: 1.16–5.03. In addition, concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions and adverse birth outcomes strengthened the effects of mercury on the risk of precocious puberty. The highest risk of precocious puberty was observed among children who had adverse birth outcomes and whose mothers had high RBC-mercury concentrations along with cardiometabolic conditions, with an HR of 4.76 (95% CI: 1.66–13.60) compared to children with favorable profiles of all three risk factors. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Precocious puberty was defined based on medical records, not on a direct assessment, which may have led to underdiagnosis and the inability to make a subclassification. The study included a predominately urban, low-income, minority population and as such our findings may not be widely generalizable. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Prenatal Hg exposure was associated with an increased risk of precocious puberty. This risk was strengthened by concomitant maternal cardiometabolic conditions during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by the NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

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Epigenetic Alterations and Exposure to Air Pollutants: Protocol for a Birth Cohort Study to Evaluate the Association Between Adverse Birth Outcomes and Global DNA Methylation

JMIR Research Protocols ◽

10.2196/resprot.7114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. e29 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Zhila Maghbooli ◽

Arash Hossein-Nezhad ◽

Majid Ramezani ◽

Syamak Moattari

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Global Dna Methylation ◽

Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽

Epigenetic Alterations

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The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZ-CHS) BIRTH COHORT study: rationale, design and methods

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-020-05432-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kerina Duri ◽

◽

Felicity Z. Gumbo ◽

Privilege T. Munjoma ◽

Precious Chandiwana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Amniotic Fluid ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Early Life ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽

The University ◽

University Of Zimbabwe

Abstract Background Commencing lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately following HIV diagnosis (Option B+), has greatly improved maternal-infant health. Thus, large and increasing numbers of HIV-infected women are on ART during pregnancy, a situation concurrently increasing numbers of HIV-exposed-uninfected (HEU) infants. Compared to their HIV-unexposed-uninfected (HUU) counterparts, HEU infants show higher rates of adverse birth outcomes, mortality, infectious/non-communicable diseases including impaired growth and neurocognitive development. There is an urgent need to understand the impact of HIV and early life ART exposures, immune-metabolic dysregulation, comorbidities and environmental confounders on adverse paediatric outcomes. Methods Six hundred (600) HIV-infected and 600 HIV-uninfected pregnant women ≥20 weeks of gestation will be enrolled from four primary health centres in high density residential areas of Harare. Participants will be followed up as mother-infant-pairs at delivery, week(s) 1, 6, 10, 14, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 after birth. Clinical, socio-economic, nutritional and environmental data will be assessed for adverse birth outcomes, impaired growth, immune/neurodevelopment, vertical transmission of HIV, hepatitis-B/C viruses, cytomegalovirus and syphilis. Maternal urine, stool, plasma, cord blood, amniotic fluid, placenta and milk including infant plasma, dried blood spot and stool will be collected at enrolment and follow-up visits. The composite primary endpoint is stillbirth and infant mortality within the first two years of life in HEU versus HUU infants. Maternal mortality in HIV-infected versus -uninfected women is another primary outcome. Secondary endpoints include a range of maternal and infant outcomes. Sub-studies will address maternal stress and malnutrition, maternal-infant latent tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori infections, immune-metabolomic dysregulation including gut, breast milk and amniotic fluid dysbiosis. Discussion The University of Zimbabwe-College of Health-Sciences-Birth-Cohort study will provide a comprehensive assessment of risk factors and biomarkers for HEU infants’ adverse outcomes. This will ultimately help developing strategies to mitigate effects of maternal HIV, early-life ART exposures and comorbidities on infants’ mortality and morbidity. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier: NCT04087239. Registered 12 September 2019.

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Relationships between maternal perfluoroalkyl substance levels, polymorphisms of receptor genes, and adverse birth outcomes in the Hokkaido birth cohort study, Japan

Reproductive Toxicology ◽

10.1016/j.reprotox.2021.12.004 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sumitaka Kobayashi ◽

Fumihiro Sata ◽

Atsuko Ikeda-Araki ◽

Chihiro Miyashita ◽

Goudarzi Houman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Adverse Birth Outcomes

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Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Coffee: Associated Congenital Complications and Adverse Birth Outcomes

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18063140 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 3140

Author(s):

Sarah Soyeon Oh ◽

Sunwha Park ◽

Young-Ah You ◽

Yongho Jee ◽

AbuZar Ansari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Birth Outcomes ◽

Prenatal Exposure ◽

Metabolic Diseases ◽

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽

Coffee Consumption ◽

Alcohol Exposure ◽

Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽

South Korean ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Prenatal Alcohol

A few studies to date have examined the association between prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and coffee, and congenital complications/adverse birth outcomes among South Korean populations. Thus, this study analyzed the data of 1675 Korean women with birth experience within the last 3 years for pregnancy-related health and nutritional behaviors and relative outcomes. During their pregnancies, 11.58% of the study population consumed alcohol at least once, 1.43% drank throughout all three trimesters, 1.13% smoked, 25.43% were exposed to secondhand smoking, and 28.18% consumed 3 coffees or more every day. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with 11.24 times increased risk of birth defects/disabilities [Odds Ratio (OR): 11.24, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.07–117.86] and 10.66 times increased risk of inherited metabolic diseases (OR: 10.66, 95% CI: 1.08–104.82). Prenatal secondhand smoke exposure (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.01–2.62) and coffee consumption (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.22–3.03) was associated with increased risk of low birth weight. Such results were in alignment with that of previous studies and confirmed that prenatal alcohol, tobacco, and coffee exposure can have detrimental neonatal and maternal consequences.

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Impact of barbecued meat consumed in pregnancy on birth outcomes accounting for personal prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Birth cohort study in Poland

Nutrition ◽

10.1016/j.nut.2011.07.020 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 372-377 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Wieslaw Jedrychowski ◽

Frederica P. Perera ◽

Deliang Tang ◽

Laura Stigter ◽

Elzbieta Mroz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Prenatal Exposure ◽

Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

In Pregnancy

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Critical windows for maternal fine particulate matter exposure and adverse birth outcomes: The Shanghai birth cohort study

Chemosphere ◽

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124904 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 240 ◽

pp. 124904 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Lei Yuan ◽

Yan Zhang ◽

Weidong Wang ◽

Renjie Chen ◽

Yang Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Particulate Matter ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Fine Particulate Matter ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽

Fine Particulate ◽

Particulate Matter Exposure

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Relatively Low Maternal Aflatoxin Exposure Is Associated with Small-for-Gestational-Age but Not with Other Birth Outcomes in a Prospective Birth Cohort Study of Nepalese Infants

Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.1093/jn/nxz122 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 149 (10) ◽

pp. 1818-1825 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Johanna Y Andrews-Trevino ◽

Patrick Webb ◽

Gerald Shively ◽

Beatrice L Rogers ◽

Kedar Baral ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Small For Gestational Age ◽

Maternal Serum ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽

Z Scores

ABSTRACT Background Exposure to aflatoxin has garnered increased attention as a possible contributor to adverse birth outcomes. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the relation of maternal aflatoxin exposure with adverse birth outcomes such as birth weight, birth length, anthropometric z scores, low birth weight (LBW), small-for-gestational-age (SGA), stunting, and preterm birth (PTB). Methods This study used maternal and newborn data from the AflaCohort Study, an ongoing birth cohort study in Banke, Nepal (n = 1621). Data on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-lysine adducts in maternal serum were collected once during pregnancy (at mean ± SD: 136 ± 43 d of gestation). Maternal serum AFB1-lysine adduct concentration was measured via HPLC. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to determine if maternal aflatoxin exposure was associated with 1) birth weight and length (primary outcomes) and 2) anthropometric z scores, LBW (weight <2.5 kg), SGA (weight <10th percentile for gestational age and sex), stunting at birth (length-for-age z score less than −2), or PTB (born <37 weeks of gestation) (secondary outcomes). Results The geometric mean of maternal serum AFB1-lysine adduct concentration was 1.37 pg/mg albumin (95% CI: 1.30, 1.44 pg/mg albumin). Twenty percent of infants were of LBW and 32% were SGA. Sixteen percent of infants were stunted at birth. In addition, 13% of infants were born preterm. In logistic multivariate regression models, mean maternal serum AFB1-lysine adduct concentrations were significantly associated with SGA (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.27; P < 0.05). Conclusions Findings from this study suggest a small but significant association between serum AFB1-lysine adduct concentrations in pregnant women and SGA. Maternal aflatoxin exposure was not associated with other birth outcomes. These results highlight the need for future research on a threshold level of aflatoxin exposure needed to produce detectable adverse birth outcomes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03312049.

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