Subacute Exposure to an Environmentally Relevant Dose of Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate during Gestation Alters the Cecal Microbiome, but Not Pregnancy Outcomes in Mice

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer commonly found in polyvinyl chloride, medical equipment, and food packaging. DEHP has been shown to target the reproductive system and alter the gut microbiome in humans and experimental animals. However, very little is known about the impact of DEHP-induced microbiome changes and its effects during pregnancy. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of DEHP exposure during pregnancy on the cecal microbiome and pregnancy outcomes. Specifically, this study tested the hypothesis that subacute exposure to DEHP during pregnancy alters the cecal microbiome in pregnant mice, leading to changes in birth outcomes. To test this hypothesis, pregnant dams were orally exposed to corn oil vehicle or 20 µg/kg/day DEHP for 10 days and euthanized 21 days after their last dose. Cecal contents were collected for 16S Illumina and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Fertility studies were also conducted to examine whether DEHP exposure impacted birth outcomes. Subacute exposure to environmentally relevant doses of DEHP in pregnant dams significantly increased alpha diversity and significantly altered beta diversity. Furthermore, DEHP exposure during pregnancy significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Deferribacteres compared with controls. The affected taxonomic families included Deferribacteraceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Mucisprillum. In addition to changes in the gut microbiota, DEHP exposure significantly altered 14 functional pathways compared with the control. Finally, DEHP exposure did not significantly impact the fertility and birth outcomes compared with the control. Collectively, these data indicate that DEHP exposure during pregnancy shifts the cecal microbiome, but the shifts do not impact fertility and birth outcomes.

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Maternal syphilis treatment and pregnancy outcomes: a retrospective study in Jiangxi Province, China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-33577/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zhihua Wan ◽

Huan Zhang ◽

Haigang Xu ◽

Yang Hu ◽

Cai Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Preterm Birth ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

First Trimester ◽

Jiangxi Province ◽

Adequate Treatment ◽

Syphilis Treatment ◽

Maternal Syphilis ◽

The Impact

Abstract BackgroundStudies investigating the associations of maternal syphilis treatment with birth outcomes mainly concentrated in economically developed areas. Limited data are available in economically underdeveloped areas, such as Jiangxi Province. The study aims to investigate the impact of maternal treatment on birth outcomes in Jiangxi Province, China.MethodsData were obtained from the China’s Information System of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission in Jiangxi Province. All syphilis infected pregnant women who delivered ≥28 gestational weeks and were registered in this system between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2019 were enrolled. Pregnancy outcomes were evaluated by group-specific analyses according to their treatment status, adequacy and initiation time.Results4210 syphilis infected pregnant women were included in the analyses. Infants born to untreated mothers (n = 1364) were at significantly higher risk for stillbirth (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.74, 95% CI, 1.01-3.00, P = 0.045), preterm birth (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI, 1.02-1.59, P = 0.034) and low birth weight (LBW) (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.11-1.86, P = 0.006) than those born to treated mothers (n = 2846) after adjustment for confounding factors. A significantly higher risk of stillbirth (aOR = 3.68; 95% CI, 1.62-8.34, P = 0.002), preterm birth (aOR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.71-3.00, P < 0.001), LBW (aOR = 2.23; 95% CI, 1.59-3.14, P < 0.001) and congenital syphilis (CS) (aOR = 3.63; 95% CI, 1.80-7.31, P < 0.001) was found in infants exposed to mothers treated inadequately (n = 1299) than those treated adequately (n = 1547). No pregnant women who initiated the treatment in the first trimester (n = 682) delivered a neonatal CS case. Compared with mothers who initiated treatment in the first trimester (n = 682), those initiated in the third trimester (n = 1234) suffered an increased risk of stillbirth (aOR = 4.48; 95% CI, 1.31-15.30, P = 0.017), preterm birth (aOR = 2.34; 95% CI, 1.61-3.40, P < 0.001) and LBW (aOR = 3.25; 95% CI, 1.97-5.37, P < 0.001). ConclusionsMaternal treatment, especially early and adequate treatment, plays a crucial role in mitigating adverse pregnancy outcomes among syphilis infected women.

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Air Pollution and Racial Disparities in Pregnancy Outcomes in the United States: A Systematic Review

10.21203/rs.3.rs-208924/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bonaventure Suiru Dzekem ◽

Briseis Aschebrook-Kilfoy ◽

Christopher O. Olopade

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

The United States ◽

Epidemiologic Studies ◽

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

Adverse Pregnancy ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Exposure to air pollutants and other environmental factors increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. There is growing evidence that adverse outcomes related to air pollution disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities. This paper explores the importance of race as a risk factor for air pollution-related poor pregnancy outcomes. Methods We systematically reviewed epidemiologic studies investigating the effects of exposure to air pollution on pregnancy outcomes in the United States. Results Findings across all reviewed studies show more adverse pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth, small for gestational age, low birth weight and stillbirths) due to air pollution among Blacks and Hispanics than among non-Hispanic Whites. Conclusion This paper enhances our general understanding of the impact of air pollution on birth outcomes and, specifically, of disparities in birth outcomes for infants born to Black and Hispanic mothers.

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Praegnatio Perturbatio – Impact of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Endocrine Reviews ◽

10.1210/endrev/bnaa035 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vasantha Padmanabhan ◽

Wenhui Song ◽

Muraly Puttabyatappa

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

Endocrine Disrupting ◽

Pregnancy And Birth Outcomes ◽

Adverse Pregnancy ◽

The Impact ◽

Pregnancy And Birth

Abstract The burden of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight is considerable across the world. Several risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes have been identified. One risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes that is receiving considerable attention in recent years is gestational exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Humans are exposed to multitude of environmental chemicals with known endocrine disrupting properties and evidence suggest that exposure to these EDCs have the potential to disrupt maternal-fetal environment culminating in adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. This review addresses the impact of maternal and fetal exposure to environmental EDCs of natural and man-made chemicals in disrupting the maternal-fetal milieu in human leading to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes - a risk factor for adult onset non-communicable diseases, the role lifestyle and environmental factors play in mitigating or amplifying the effects of EDCs, the underlying mechanisms and mediaries involved, and the research directions to focus future investigations on to help alleviate the adverse effects from EDC exposures.

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Evidence of high di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure due to tainted food intake in Taiwanese pregnant women and the health effects on birth outcomes

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.175 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 618 ◽

pp. 635-644 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Yen-An Tsai ◽

Ming-Song Tsai ◽

Jia-Woei Hou ◽

Ching-Ling Lin ◽

Chih-Yao Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Health Effects ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Ethylhexyl Phthalate ◽

Dehp Exposure

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Association of antepartum and intrapartum SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnancy outcomes in South African women, two observational studies

10.22541/au.163722855.56778320/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marta Nunes ◽

Stephanie Jones ◽

Renate Strehlau ◽

Vuyelwa Baba ◽

Zanele Ditse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Low Birthweight ◽

Nucleic Acid Amplification ◽

African Women ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact ◽

Asymptomatic Women

Objective: Evaluate the impact of the timing of SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnancy outcomes in a low-middle income setting. Design: two parallel, observational studies. Setting and population: pregnant women or women presenting for labour, enrolled between April-September 2020, in South Africa. Methods: i) longitudinal follow-up study of symptomatic or asymptomatic pregnant women investigated for SARS-CoV-2 infection antenatally, ii) cross-sectional study of SARS-CoV-2 infection at time of labour. SARS-CoV-2 infection was investigated by nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Main Outcome Measures: association of SARS-CoV-2 infection on nasal swab and birth outcomes. Results: Antenatally, 793 women were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Overall SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 138 women, including 119/275 with symptomatic illness (COVID-19) and 19/518 asymptomatic women; 493 women were asymptomatic and SARS-CoV-2 non-reactive. Women with COVID-19 were 1.66-times (95%CI: 1.02, 1.71) more likely to have a low-birthweight newborn (30%) compared to asymptomatic women without SARS-CoV-2 (21%). Overall, 3117 women were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery, including 1560 healthy women with an uncomplicated term delivery. Adverse birth outcomes or pregnancy-related complications were not associated with infection at delivery. Among women with SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery, NAAT was reactive on 6/98 of maternal blood samples, 8/93 of cord-blood, 14/54 of placentas and 3/22 of nasopharyngeal swabs from newborns collected within 72-hours of birth. Conclusions: Antenatal, but not intrapartum, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with low-birthweight delivery. Maternal infection at the time of labour was associated with in utero foetal and placental infection, and possible vertical and/or horizontal viral transfer to the newborn.

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Impact of antibiotics to off-target infant gut microbiota and resistance genes in cohort studies

10.1101/2021.11.02.21265394 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rebecca M Lebeaux ◽

Juliette C Madan ◽

Quang P Nguyen ◽

Modupe O Coker ◽

Erika F Dade ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Relative Abundance ◽

Resistance Genes ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Metagenomic Sequencing ◽

Antibiotic Exposure ◽

Sequencing Data ◽

Compositional Diversity ◽

The Impact

Background: Young children are frequently exposed to antibiotics for otitis media and respiratory infections, with the potential for collateral consequences on the gut microbiome. The impact of antibiotic exposures to off-target microbes (i.e., bacteria not targeted by antibiotic treatment) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is unknown. Methods: We used metagenomic sequencing data from paired stool samples collected prior to antibiotic exposure and at 1 year from over 200 infants and a difference-in-differences approach to assess the relationship between subsequent exposures and the abundance or compositional diversity of off-target microbes and ARGs while adjusting for covariates. Results: By 1 year, the relative abundance of multiple species and ARGs differed by antibiotic exposure. Compared to infants never exposed to antibiotics, Bacteroides vulgatus relative abundance increased by 1.72% (95%CI:0.19,3.24) while Bacteroides fragilis decreased by 1.56% (95%CI:-4.32,1.21). Bifidobacterium species also exhibited opposing trends suggesting differential antibiotic selection. Overall, antibiotic exposure was associated with a dose-dependent decrease in alpha diversity of off-target microbes. ARGs associated with antibiotic exposure included class A beta-lactamase gene CfxA6. Among infants attending day care, Escherichia coli and ARG abundance were both positively associated with antibiotic use. Conclusion: Further quantifying impacts to off-target microbes and ARGs has implications for antibiotic stewardship

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Maternal syphilis treatment and pregnancy outcomes: a retrospective study in Jiangxi Province, China

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-020-03314-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zhihua Wan ◽

Huan Zhang ◽

Haigang Xu ◽

Yang Hu ◽

Cai Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Preterm Birth ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

First Trimester ◽

Jiangxi Province ◽

Maternal Treatment ◽

Syphilis Treatment ◽

Maternal Syphilis ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Studies investigating the associations of maternal syphilis treatment with birth outcomes mainly concentrated in economically developed areas. Limited data are available in economically underdeveloped areas, such as Jiangxi Province. The study aims to investigate the impact of maternal treatment on birth outcomes in Jiangxi Province, China. Methods Data were obtained from the China’s Information System of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission in Jiangxi Province. All syphilis infected pregnant women who delivered ≥28 gestational weeks and were registered in this system between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2019 were enrolled. Pregnancy outcomes were evaluated by group-specific analyses according to their treatment status, adequacy and initiation time. Results 4210 syphilis infected pregnant women were included in the analyses. Infants born to untreated mothers (n = 1364) were at significantly higher risk for stillbirth (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.74, 95% CI, 1.01–3.00, P = 0.045), preterm birth (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI, 1.02–1.59, P = 0.034) and low birth weight (LBW) (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.11–1.86, P = 0.006) than those born to treated mothers (n = 2846) after adjustment for confounding factors. A significantly higher risk of stillbirth (aOR = 3.68; 95% CI, 1.62–8.34, P = 0.002), preterm birth (aOR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.71–3.00, P < 0.001), LBW (aOR = 2.23; 95% CI, 1.59–3.14, P < 0.001) and congenital syphilis (CS) (aOR = 3.63; 95% CI, 1.80–7.31, P < 0.001) was found in infants exposed to mothers treated inadequately (n = 1299) than those treated adequately (n = 1547). No pregnant women who initiated the treatment in the first trimester (n = 682) delivered a neonatal CS case. Compared with mothers who initiated treatment in the first trimester (n = 682), those initiated in the third trimester (n = 1234) suffered an increased risk of stillbirth (aOR = 4.48; 95% CI, 1.31–15.30, P = 0.017), preterm birth (aOR = 2.34; 95% CI, 1.61–3.40, P < 0.001) and LBW (aOR = 3.25; 95% CI, 1.97–5.37, P < 0.001). Conclusions Maternal treatment, especially early and adequate treatment, plays a crucial role in mitigating adverse pregnancy outcomes among syphilis infected women.

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Maternal syphilis treatment and pregnancy outcomes: a retrospective study in Jiangxi Province, China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-33577/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zhihua Wan ◽

Huan Zhang ◽

Haigang Xu ◽

Yang Hu ◽

Cai Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Preterm Birth ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Pregnancy Outcomes ◽

First Trimester ◽

Jiangxi Province ◽

Maternal Treatment ◽

Syphilis Treatment ◽

Maternal Syphilis ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Studies investigating the associations of maternal syphilis treatment with birth outcomes mainly concentrated in economically developed areas. Limited data are available in economically underdeveloped areas, such as Jiangxi Province. The study aims to investigate the impact of maternal treatment on birth outcomes in Jiangxi Province, China.Methods: Data were obtained from the China’s Information System of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission in Jiangxi Province. All syphilis infected pregnant women who delivered ≥28 gestational weeks and were registered in this system between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2019 were enrolled. Pregnancy outcomes were evaluated by group-specific analyses according to their treatment status, adequacy and initiation time.Results: 4210 syphilis infected pregnant women were included in the analyses. Infants born to untreated mothers (n = 1364) were at significantly higher risk for stillbirth (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.74, 95% CI, 1.01-3.00, P = 0.045), preterm birth (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI, 1.02-1.59, P = 0.034) and low birth weight (LBW) (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.11-1.86, P = 0.006) than those born to treated mothers (n = 2846) after adjustment for confounding factors. A significantly higher risk of stillbirth (aOR = 3.68; 95% CI, 1.62-8.34, P = 0.002), preterm birth (aOR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.71-3.00, P < 0.001), LBW (aOR = 2.23; 95% CI, 1.59-3.14, P < 0.001) and congenital syphilis (CS) (aOR = 3.63; 95% CI, 1.80-7.31, P < 0.001) was found in infants exposed to mothers treated inadequately (n = 1299) than those treated adequately (n = 1547). No pregnant women who initiated the treatment in the first trimester (n = 682) delivered a neonatal CS case. Compared with mothers who initiated treatment in the first trimester (n = 682), those initiated in the third trimester (n = 1234) suffered an increased risk of stillbirth (aOR = 4.48; 95% CI, 1.31-15.30, P = 0.017), preterm birth (aOR = 2.34; 95% CI, 1.61-3.40, P < 0.001) and LBW (aOR = 3.25; 95% CI, 1.97-5.37, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Maternal treatment, especially early and adequate treatment, plays a crucial role in mitigating adverse pregnancy outcomes among syphilis infected women.

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