Prenatal Exposure to Butylparaben Increased Risk of Childhood Asthma: Study

A new study from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) identified potential links between prenatal exposure to certain phenols and an increased risk of asthma in children. The findings highlighted the role of maternal exposure to specific chemicals, particularly butylparaben, during early pregnancy and its association with asthma development by age 4.

This nationwide birth cohort study analyzed data from a total of 3,513 mother-child pairs. Urine samples collected during the first trimester of pregnancy were tested for 24 types of phenols, including nitrophenol, parabens, bisphenol, octylphenol, and nonylphenol. This research found that phenol concentrations varied widely across participants.

The study found that the high maternal exposure to butylparaben was associated with a 54% higher risk of asthma in children, as indicated by an odds ratio of 1.54 (95% confidence interval: 1.11–2.15). Methylparaben was detected in nearly all participants at consistently high levels, but no direct link to asthma was established.

The effects of 4-Nonylphenol differed significantly by gender. For male children, low maternal exposure was associated with more than double the risk of asthma (odds ratio: 2.09, 95% confidence interval: 1.20–3.65). Also, female children showed no significant risk associated with 4-nonylphenol exposure (odds ratio: 0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.25–1.70).

The study illuminates the importance of understanding prenatal exposure to everyday chemicals found in cosmetics, cleaning products, and household items. While previous research has highlighted phenols like nonylphenol as endocrine disruptors, this study looks deep into the specific effects of maternal exposure on asthma development in children by emphasizing potential gender-specific vulnerabilities. This study emphasized that these findings could guide future public health recommendations, particularly regarding the use of butylparaben-containing products during pregnancy. 

Overall, high exposure to butylparaben during pregnancy may significantly increase the risk of asthma in children, with notable gender differences observed for exposure to 4-nonylphenol. For expectant mothers, the findings reinforce the importance of minimizing exposure to potentially harmful chemicals during pregnancy. The study also highlighted the need for further investigation into the gender-specific effects of phenol exposure.

Source:

Kuraoka, S., Oda, M., Ohba, T., Mitsubuchi, H., Nakamura, K., Katoh, T., Kamijima, M., Yamazaki, S., Ohya, Y., Kishi, R., Yaegashi, N., Hashimoto, K., Mori, C., Ito, S., Yamagata, Z., Inadera, H., Nakayama, T., Sobue, T., Shima, M., … Katoh, T. (2024). Association of phenol exposure during pregnancy and asthma development in children: The Japan Environment and Children’s study. In Environmental Pollution (Vol. 361, p. 124801). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124801