Fetal Phenol Exposure Linked to Risk for Asthma in Children

MONDAY, Dec. 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Fetal exposure to certain phenols is associated with an increased risk for asthma development in children, according to a study published in the Nov. 15 issue of Environmental Pollution.

Shohei Kuraoka, M.D., Ph.D., from Kumamoto University in Japan, and colleagues examined the association between maternal urinary phenol concentrations during early pregnancy and development of asthma in children at age 4 years using data from a large-scale nationwide birth cohort study. A total of 3,513 pairs of mothers and children were recruited. Twenty-four phenols were measured in urine samples taken during the first trimester of pregnancy.

The researchers observed marked differences in the urinary levels of the measured phenols, and some showed a broad spectrum of distribution. Almost every participant had high levels of methylparaben (267.7 ng/mL). High exposure to butylparaben was associated with increased odds of asthma onset (odds ratio, 1.54; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.11 to 2.15). In an analysis by gender, mothers in whom 4-nonylphenol was detected had an odds ratio of asthma development of 2.09 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.20 to 3.65) for boys and 0.65 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.25 to 1.70) for girls.

“Fetal phenol exposure may be associated with the development of asthma in children,” the authors write. “This study establishes a valuable foundation for developing recommendations regarding phenol exposure during pregnancy.”

Abstract/Full Text