Logo image
Back
Onset and tempo of sexual maturation is differentially associated with gestational phthalate exposure between boys and girls in a Mexico City birth cohort
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Onset and tempo of sexual maturation is differentially associated with gestational phthalate exposure between boys and girls in a Mexico City birth cohort

Amber Cathey, Deborah J. Watkins, Brisa N. Sánchez, Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz, Maritsa Solano-Gonzalez, Libni Torres-Olascoaga, Martha Maria Téllez-Rojo, Karen E. Peterson and John D. Meeker
Environment international, v 136, 105469
Mar 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105469
PMID: 31931345
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105469View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Biomarkers Breast development Maternal-child health Phthalates Pregnancy exposures Puberty
•High molecular weight phthalates were associated with later onset of breast growth.•A low molecular weight phthalate was associated with early onset of male pubic hair.•Trends of onset and tempo of development were generally in opposite directions.•Significant metabolites and directions of associations differed between sexes. Phthalates are endocrine disrupting compounds commonly found in consumer products, exposure to which may influence reproductive maturation. Effects from exposure in utero on the onset and progression of sexual development are understudied. We examined longitudinal associations between gestational phthalate exposure and sexual maturation at two points in adolescence (8–14, 9–18 years). Gestational exposure was quantified using the geometric mean of 3 trimester-specific urinary phthalate metabolite measurements. Sexual maturation was assessed using Tanner stages and menarche onset for girls and Tanner stages and testicular volume for boys. Generalized estimating equations for correlated ordinal multinomial responses were used to model relationships between phthalates and odds of transitioning to the next Tanner stage, while generalized additive (GA) mixed models were used to assess the odds of menarche. All models were adjusted for child age (centered around the mean), BMI z-score, change in BMI between visits, time (years) between visits (ΔT), and interactions between ΔT and mean-centered child age and the natural log of exposure metabolite concentration. Among girls, a doubling of gestational MBzP concentrations was associated with increased odds of being at a higher Tanner stage for breast development at 8–14 years (OR = 4.62; 95% CI: 1.38, 15.5), but with slower progression of breast development over the follow-up period (OR = 0.65 per year; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.92) after adjustment for child age and BMI z-score. Similar results were found for ∑DEHP levels and breast development. In boys, a doubling of gestational MBP concentrations was associated with lower odds of being at a higher Tanner stage for pubic hair growth at 8–14 years (OR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.95) but with faster progression (OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.69). These results indicate that gestational phthalate exposures may impact the onset and progression of sexual development, and that these relationships differ between boys and girls.

Metrics

4 Record Views
22 citations in Web of Science
24 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
Logo image