"Exposure to Environmental Hormone 'Phthalates' During Pregnancy Inhibits Postnatal Growth"

Seoul National University Hospital Environmental Medicine Clinic Professors Hong Yooncheol and Lee Dongwook
Investigation of Phthalate Exposure and Its Association with Children's Physical Growth

From the left, Professor Hong Yoon-cheol and Professor Lee Dong-wook of Seoul National University Environmental Medicine Clinic.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] A study has found that exposure to phthalates, known as environmental hormones, during the fetal period can hinder normal growth in childhood. Contrary to previous studies suggesting that phthalates induce obesity, phthalate exposure was found to have a low correlation with body fat percentage.

The research team led by Professor Hong Yoon-chul of the Environmental Medicine Clinic at Seoul National University Hospital (including Professor Lee Dong-wook) announced on the 27th the results of a review and meta-analysis of a total of 39 studies, including 22 longitudinal studies and 17 cross-sectional studies, investigating the association between prenatal phthalate exposure and physical growth in children.

Phthalates are one of the representative endocrine-disrupting chemicals (environmental hormones) used to enhance the utility of plastics and household products. They are commonly used in toys, flooring materials, food packaging, detergents, cosmetics, perfumes, hair sprays, and are frequently detected in living environments. In particular, phthalates are known to inhibit the action of male hormones and mitochondrial function. They are also known to affect children's health by causing precocious puberty, thyroid dysfunction, and have been linked to adult diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

However, the effects of prenatal phthalate exposure on children's growth after birth have not been established.

The research team conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis on studies published up to 2021, examining the association between prenatal phthalate exposure and children's physical measurement indicators such as body mass index and body fat percentage. The results showed that when prenatal phthalate exposure increased by about 2.7 times, the body mass index z-score (BMI z-score) during childhood decreased by approximately 0.05. The researchers explained that this means exposure to phthalates during pregnancy may prevent newborns from reaching their expected birth weight, leading to impaired normal growth.

On the other hand, no significant association was observed between prenatal phthalate exposure and body fat percentage (%) during childhood. This supports previous research findings that prenatal phthalate exposure has a low correlation with children's body fat percentage and tends to inhibit muscle development.

Furthermore, upon reviewing previous studies on the association between phthalate exposure during childhood and obesity, the research team confirmed that current research results are inconsistent and show no significant correlation.

The research team emphasized the significance of this study in confirming that prenatal phthalate exposure can affect the development of musculoskeletal systems other than fat, thereby acting to hinder normal growth in children after birth.

Professor Lee said, "The study results showed that phthalate exposure during the fetal period affected abnormal growth in children," and added, "Efforts to reduce phthalate exposure during pregnancy are necessary to promote normal growth and development in children."

Professor Hong explained, "Future research on the health effects of phthalates should consider the harmful impacts of phthalates on children's growth," and added, "There will be a need to implement stricter and broader regulations on phthalates in living environments."

Meanwhile, these research results were published in the latest issue of the international academic journal Scientific Reports.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.