Maternal phthalate exposure, gestational length, and preterm birth risk: a prospective cohort study nested within a randomised trial

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dc.contributor.authorBest, K.P.
dc.contributor.authorYelland, L.N.
dc.contributor.authorGe, L.
dc.contributor.authorShi, Z.
dc.contributor.authorLeemaqz, S.
dc.contributor.authorGibson, R.
dc.contributor.authorMakrides, M.
dc.contributor.authorMiddleton, P.
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractBackground: Preterm birth (< 37 weeks gestation) is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality, yet the underlying causes remain unknown in many cases. Environmental exposures, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as phthalates, have been implicated in preterm birth risk. Phthalates are commonly used as plasticisers in consumer products, resulting in widespread human exposure. While some studies suggest an association between maternal phthalate exposure and reduced gestational length, findings remain inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and gestational length in an Australian pregnancy cohort. Methods: This prospective cohort study was nested within the Omega-3 to Reduce the Incidence of Prematurity (ORIP) trial. A total of 605 women with singleton pregnancies from South Australia provided urine samples between 22- and 26-weeks’ gestation for phthalate metabolite analysis. Thirteen phthalate metabolites were quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Gestational age at birth was determined from medical records. Linear regression models assessed associations between phthalate concentrations and gestational length, adjusting for maternal characteristics including age, BMI, socioeconomic status, education, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Results: Phthalate metabolites were detected in > 99% of urine samples, with the highest concentrations observed for mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and mono-butyl phthalate (MBP). There was no evidence of an association between phthalate exposure and gestational length in either unadjusted or adjusted analyses. No significant association was found between phthalate exposure and preterm birth risk. Conclusions: Despite widespread phthalate exposure, no clear link was identified between maternal phthalate levels and shortened gestation in this Australian cohort. However, continued surveillance is needed to monitor emerging plasticiser exposures and inform public health policies on maternal and infant health. Trial registration number: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12613001142729. Date of registration: 27/09/2013.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityKaren P. Best, Lisa N. Yelland, Liu Ge, Zumin Shi, Shalem Leemaqz, Robert Gibson, Maria Makrides, and Philippa Middleton
dc.identifier.citationBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2025; 25(1):830-1-830-11
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/s12884-025-07980-8
dc.identifier.issn1471-2393
dc.identifier.issn1471-2393
dc.identifier.orcidBest, K.P. [0000-0002-7653-5074]
dc.identifier.orcidYelland, L.N. [0000-0003-3803-8728]
dc.identifier.orcidShi, Z. [0000-0002-3099-3299]
dc.identifier.orcidLeemaqz, S. [0000-0003-4616-8426]
dc.identifier.orcidGibson, R. [0000-0002-8750-525X]
dc.identifier.orcidMakrides, M. [0000-0003-3832-541X]
dc.identifier.orcidMiddleton, P. [0000-0002-8573-338X]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/147694
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherBMC
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1135155
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1050468
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/2016756
dc.rights© Crown 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07980-8
dc.subjectPregnancy; Exposure; Phthalates; Environment; Prematurity; Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Prenatal
dc.subject.meshHumans
dc.subject.meshPremature Birth
dc.subject.meshPhthalic Acids
dc.subject.meshRisk Factors
dc.subject.meshProspective Studies
dc.subject.meshMaternal Exposure
dc.subject.meshGestational Age
dc.subject.meshPregnancy
dc.subject.meshAdult
dc.subject.meshInfant, Newborn
dc.subject.meshSouth Australia
dc.subject.meshFemale
dc.subject.meshYoung Adult
dc.titleMaternal phthalate exposure, gestational length, and preterm birth risk: a prospective cohort study nested within a randomised trial
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished online

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