Objective To measure the contents of environmental endocrine disruptors (EDs) in the meconium of newborns,and to study the correlation between EDs levels and low birth weight (LBW).
Methods A total of 88 low-birth-weight newborns and 113 normal birth weight newborns in a district of Shanghai were enrolled in this case-control study.During 24h after delivery,meconium samples of newborns were collected and pretreated with C18-solid phase extraction (SPE) column.The concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA),phthalate metabolites (mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate,MEHP;monobutyl phthalate,MBP) and two kinds of surfactants (4-nonylphenol,4-NP;octylphenol,OP) in meconium samples were measured by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography.Pearson correlation and conditional logistic regression were used to analyze the correlation between EDs exposure and LBW.
Results More than 60% of the meconium samples contained quantifiable levels of phthalates and surfactants,with higher levels in the LBW newborns than in the controls.MEHP and MBP levels were higher than BPA and surfactants.After adjusting for the potential confounders,MBP and MEHP concentrations in the highest quartile were associated with an increased risk of LBW (Adjusted ORs were 4.68 and 3.23,respectively).
Conclusion Newborns are ubiquitously exposed to EDs for significantly higher phthalate levels are detected in the LBW cases compared with the controls.Intrauterine phthalate exposure may be a risk factor for LBW.
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