Psychosocial stressors as modifiers of the associations between well-studied and understudied chemicals and birth outcomes in the ECHO Cohort

Psychosocial stressors may exacerbate observed associations between environmental toxicants and adverse birth outcomes. However, studies have primarily focused on well-known compounds rather than a broader range of chemicals of concern. Pregnant women in this analysis had a prenatal urine sample analyzed for 113 well-studied and understudied chemical analytes, and at least one measure of psychosocial stress (N = 1566). We measured analytes from 10 chemical classes, including fungicides/herbicides, insecticides, halogenated phenols, organophosphorus flame retardants, benzophenones, bisphenols, parabens, antimicrobials, phthalates/alternative plasticizers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Principal component analysis was used to identify clusters of exposure patterns. Generalized Estimating Equation models assessed associations between principal components (PCs) and molar sums of each chemical class with birthweight z-scores and gestational age at birth, stratified by individual stressors (i.e., categorical adverse childhood experiences [ACEs; 0, 1-2, and 3-5]; binary prenatal perceived stress, depression, and anxiety). The PC reflecting higher exposure to all analytes (PC1) was negatively associated with birthweight z-scores only among those who experienced 3-5 ACEs compared with those with no ACEs (β<sub>PC1</sub> = -0.08, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = -0.11, -0.05 for 3-5 ACEs; β<sub>PC1</sub> = -0.01, 95 % CI = -0.05, 0.04 for 0 A CEs). Most phthalate molar sums were inversely associated with gestational age only among those with anxiety during pregnancy (e.g., β<sub>DINP</sub> = -0.29, 95 % CI = -0.41, -0.18 for anxiety-yes; β<sub>DINP</sub> = 0.23, 95 % CI = 0.01, 0.46 for anxiety-no). Findings suggest that certain psychosocial stressors modify associations between understudied chemicals and birth outcomes.

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Journal
Environmental Pollution
Published
2025-11-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127441
Primary Topic
Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
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article
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article

Psychosocial stressors as modifiers of the associations between well-studied and understudied chemicals and birth outcomes in the ECHO Cohort

Kayla L. Karvonen, Alicia K. Peterson, Emily S. Barrett, MyDzung T. Chu et al.
Environmental Pollution
Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
article

Psychosocial stressors as modifiers of the associations between well-studied and understudied chemicals and birth outcomes in the ECHO Cohort

Kayla L. Karvonen, Alicia K. Peterson, Emily S. Barrett, MyDzung T. Chu, Courtney C. Carignan, Max T. Aung, Stephanie Marie Eick, Tracey J. Woodruff, Donghai Liang, Brennan H. Baker, Rachel A. Morello-Frosch, Jessie Poulin Buckley, Julia Varshavsky, Yeyi Zhu, Jiwon Oh, Anne Lang Dunlop, Patricia A. Brennan, Christine W. Hockett, Whitney Cowell, Xiuhong Li
article en

Abstract

Psychosocial stressors may exacerbate observed associations between environmental toxicants and adverse birth outcomes. However, studies have primarily focused on well-known compounds rather than a broader range of chemicals of concern. Pregnant women in this analysis had a prenatal urine sample analyzed for 113 well-studied and understudied chemical analytes, and at least one measure of psychosocial stress (N = 1566). We measured analytes from 10 chemical classes, including fungicides/herbicides, insecticides, halogenated phenols, organophosphorus flame retardants, benzophenones, bisphenols, parabens, antimicrobials, phthalates/alternative plasticizers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Principal component analysis was used to identify clusters of exposure patterns. Generalized Estimating Equation models assessed associations between principal components (PCs) and molar sums of each chemical class with birthweight z-scores and gestational age at birth, stratified by individual stressors (i.e., categorical adverse childhood experiences [ACEs; 0, 1-2, and 3-5]; binary prenatal perceived stress, depression, and anxiety). The PC reflecting higher exposure to all analytes (PC1) was negatively associated with birthweight z-scores only among those who experienced 3-5 ACEs compared with those with no ACEs (β<sub>PC1</sub> = -0.08, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = -0.11, -0.05 for 3-5 ACEs; β<sub>PC1</sub> = -0.01, 95 % CI = -0.05, 0.04 for 0 A CEs). Most phthalate molar sums were inversely associated with gestational age only among those with anxiety during pregnancy (e.g., β<sub>DINP</sub> = -0.29, 95 % CI = -0.41, -0.18 for anxiety-yes; β<sub>DINP</sub> = 0.23, 95 % CI = 0.01, 0.46 for anxiety-no). Findings suggest that certain psychosocial stressors modify associations between understudied chemicals and birth outcomes.

Environmental PollutionVol. 389
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US), University of Southern California (US), Tufts Medical Center (US), Northeastern University (US), Kaiser Permanente (US), Johns Hopkins University (US), Emory University (US), University of California, San Francisco (US), University of South Dakota (US), University of Sioux Falls (US), Avera Health (US), Reproductive Science Center (US), Seattle Children's Hospital (US), Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (US), Berkeley Public Health Division (US), New York University (US), University of California, Davis (US), Michigan State University (US), University of California, Berkeley (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 54%
Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
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