Exposure to Phthalates Can Hamper Your Chances of Getting Pregnant
A recent study has found that exposure to phthalates, a group of plasticizing and solvent chemicals commonly found in household products, is linked to a lower probability of getting pregnant. A University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental and reproductive epidemiologist shares that their research discovered this worrying trend.
The study, which was published this week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, also identified that preconception exposure to phthalates is associated with changes in women’s reproductive hormones, as well as increased inflammation and oxidative stress.
“Phthalates are everywhere. They are endocrine disruptors that we come into contact with every single day,” says lead researcher Carrie Nobles, who is also an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences.
Found in everyday products such as shampoo, makeup, vinyl flooring, toys, and medical devices, phthalates mostly enter our bodies when we consume food and liquids that have come into contact with these products, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nobles and her team analyzed data from the EAGeR (Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction) study, which evaluated the impact of low-dose aspirin on live-birth rates. The cohort of women studied as part of EAGeR, totaling 1,228 participants, provided detailed information over six menstrual cycles while attempting to get pregnant. Those who conceived were followed through their pregnancies.
“We took a close look at environmental exposures like phthalates and how they affect the length of time it takes to conceive. With extensive data for each menstrual cycle, we were able to pinpoint ovulation dates and the timing of pregnancies,” Nobles explains.
Phthalates are broken down by the body into metabolites that are excreted in urine and can be measured. In this study, the researchers looked at 20 phthalate metabolites in the participants’ urine samples at the beginning of the study.
“Our findings suggest that three parent compounds are most strongly linked to a delayed conception. In general, we observed a trend of longer conception times across the different phthalates analyzed. As exposure levels increased, so did the impact on the ability to conceive,” Nobles remarks.
Further analysis also revealed that women with higher phthalate exposure had increased levels of inflammation and oxidative stress, which can lead to organ and tissue damage and, eventually, disease.
Moreover, these high phthalate levels were also associated with lower estradiol and higher follicle-stimulating hormone during the menstrual cycle, both of which are vital for ovulation and the early stages of pregnancy.
“This profile – low estradiol and high follicle-stimulating hormone – is something we typically see in women with ovarian insufficiency, a condition that arises with age or due to other factors. When this occurs, ovulation doesn’t happen as effectively as it should,” Nobles explains.
For women concerned about their exposure to phthalates, an important step is to check consumer product labels and look for phthalate-free alternatives. To learn more about this groundbreaking research, click here.
