PhD defence C.M. (Chalana) Sol

Summary:

Prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors such as phthalates and bisphenols might disrupt development and later health. The general aim of this thesis was to assess the associations of prenatal phthalate and bisphenol exposure with fetal growth, DNA methylation and childhood cardiometabolic and renal health. We measured the concentrations of these chemicals in the urine of a subset of women participating in the Generation R Study, a population-based cohort study from fetal life onwards in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. We show that higher maternal bisphenol S urine concentrations were associated with higher weight at birth. Higher maternal phthalate urine concentrations were associated with lower fetal growth and higher risk of preterm birth. We found some suggestive associations of fetal exposure to a mixture of phthalates and bisphenol A with DNA methylation in cord blood. Furthermore, higher maternal phthalate urine concentrations were associated with higher pericardial fat index at 10 years old, while maternal bisphenol urine concentrations were not associated with general and organ fat. There were some associations of maternal phthalate and bisphenol urine concentrations during pregnancy with lipid, glucose and insulin concentrations in blood at 10 years old. Associations of maternal phthalate and bisphenol urine concentrations with blood pressure at 10 years old were sex-specific. There were no consistent associations with kidney function at 6 years old. Concluding, findings from this thesis suggest that prenatal exposure to phthalates and bisphenols is associated with changes in growth and health. Our findings warrant public health interventions to limit exposure to phthalates and bisphenols.