2015 Volume 3 Issue 3 Pages 70-83
Because fetuses are considered the most sensitive to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure, the effects of maternal exposures during pregnancy on infant and child health were reviewed from recently reported studies. The major modes of exposure to this chemical are food and indoor air; hence, it remains important to decrease the risk of exposure from contaminated foods. Although DEHP metabolic profiles were not different between pregnant and non-pregnant women, metabolic rates appeared lower in late pregnancy. Maternal serum triglyceride, fatty acids, estradiol, and progesterone levels are normally higher in late pregnancy than in non-pregnancy and early pregnancy, whereas free triiodothyronine and thyroxin levels are low during late pregnancy. Previous epidemiological studies of the effects of maternal exposure to DEHP on the mother, infant, and child show that DEHP disrupts maternal lipid levels and influences infant and child endocrine hormone levels, infant birth parameters, child neurobehavioral development, maturation, and asthma. Because these studies are limited to children less than 10 or 13 years old, further longitudinal follow-up studies are warranted to determine the influences of prenatal DEHP exposures on lifestyle diseases. Additionally, animal studies are needed to reinforce associations between maternal exposure to DEHP and health effects in the subsequent generation, and to elucidate the corresponding mechanisms. The risk of exposure to DEHP during childhood is another important consideration because associations with thyroid function, puberty, and neurobehavioral development have also been observed.
