Sex-specific effects of organophosphate ester exposure on child growth trajectories in the first two years

Hang Wang; Liyi Zhang; Jie Wu; Pengpeng Wang; Qiang Li; Xinyao Sui; Yaqi Xu; Yue Zhao; Yang Liu; Yunhui Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.eehl.2023.07.003

Sex-specific effects of organophosphate ester exposure on child growth trajectories in the first two years

Eco Environ Health. 2023 Jul 15;2(3):152-160. doi: 10.1016/j.eehl.2023.07.003. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Hang Wang^{1

2}, Liyi Zhang^{1

2}, Jie Wu³, Pengpeng Wang^{1

2}, Qiang Li^{1

2}, Xinyao Sui^{1

2}, Yaqi Xu^{1

2}, Yue Zhao^{1

2}, Yang Liu^{1

2}, Yunhui Zhang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China.
² Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
³ The Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital of Songjiang District, Shanghai 201600, China.

Abstract

The connections between urinary organophosphate ester (OPE) metabolites and child growth have been identified in prior research, but there is currently a dearth of epidemiological evidence regarding the sex-specific impact of OPEs on child growth trajectories. This study enrolled 804 maternal-child pairs, and five OPE congeners were quantified in maternal serum during pregnancy. In this study, the impact of prenatal OPE exposure on child growth trajectories was assessed using linear mixed-effect models and a group-based trajectory model (GBTM), with consideration given to sex-specific effects. Fetuses were frequently exposed to OPEs in utero, and tris(2-butoxyethel) phosphate (TBEP) exhibited the highest concentration levels in maternal serum. Among male children, an increase of 2.72 ng/g lipid in TBEP concentration was associated with a 0.11-unit increase in head circumference-for-age z-score (HCAZ), and the effect was mainly concentrated at 1 and 2 months of age. Among female children, an increase of 2.72 ng/g lipid in tris(2-chloro-1-(chloromethyl) ethyl) phosphate (TDCPP) concentration was associated with a 0.15-unit increase in length-for-age z-score (LAZ) and a 0.14-unit increase in weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), and the effects were mainly concentrated at 9 months of age. For HCAZ trajectories, higher prenatal TBEP exposure was associated with higher odds for the fast growth group in male children. For the LAZ and WAZ trajectories, higher prenatal TDCPP exposure was associated with higher odds for the fast growth group in female children. The trajectory analysis approach provided insight into the complex associations between OPE exposure and child growth.

Keywords: Birth cohort; Child growth trajectories; Organophosphate esters; Sex-specific effects.