New ECHO Study Finds Prenatal Antidepressant Use Does Not Increase Risk for Child Autism-related Traits

Patricia Brennen, PhD

Collaborative ECHO research led by Patricia Brennan, PhD of Emory University, investigates whether maternal prenatal antidepressant use affects a child’s risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism-related traits. The study included over 3,000 mothers and their children and found no correlation between the use of antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), during pregnancy and child autism-related traits. This research, titled “Prenatal Antidepressant Exposures and Autism Spectrum Disorder or Traits: A Retrospective, Multi-Cohort Study,” is published in Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.

Previous research has not offered conclusive findings on the effect of prenatal antidepressants on child autism-related traits. It is important that pregnant women and the physicians that treat them have the data they need to make informed treatment decisions.

For this study, researchers looked at a large sample of mothers and their children from ECHO cohorts across the United States, collecting data on prenatal antidepressant use and autism-related traits when the children were between 1 and 12 years of age. About 5% of the mothers who participated took antidepressants during pregnancy, according to medical records and self-reported measures. Mothers also reported on whether their child received an ASD diagnosis and completed rating scales about their child’s behavior, including social, language, and other autism-related traits.

“Depression is common during pregnancy, and pregnant women and the physicians who treat them must weigh multiple risks when making treatment decisions,” said Dr. Brennan. “This study suggests that the use of antidepressants and SSRIs during pregnancy does not increase a child’s risk for autism-related outcomes.”

Future studies may consider evaluating if the dose or timing of antidepressant use during pregnancy modifies the effect on child health outcomes.

Read the Research Summary.

No Association Between Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy, Child’s Risk for Autism-Related Traits

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No Association Between Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy, Child's Risk for Autism-Related Traits

Authors: Patricia Brennan, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

 

What were the study results?

This study found that prenatal use of antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), did not increase a child’s risk for ASD or related traits.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

Pregnant women who are diagnosed with depression must weigh a number of risks when making decisions about treatments. Sometimes medical providers may recommend treatment with antidepressants. This study suggests that maternal use of antidepressants, including SSRIs, during pregnancy does not increase a child’s risk for autism-related traits. This information can be valuable in helping pregnant women and their physicians decide whether antidepressant treatment is right for them.

 

Why was this study needed?

Previous studies have reported mixed findings on the relationship between prenatal antidepressant use and child autism. Pregnant women and the physicians that treat them need more data to inform their decisions about whether to take certain medications during pregnancy.

 

Who was involved?

This study included 3,129 mothers and their children enrolled in ECHO cohorts across the United States. Participants provided data on prenatal exposure to antidepressants as well as measures of autism-related traits collected when the child was between 1 and 12 years of age. About 5% of the participating mothers took antidepressants during pregnancy.

 

What happened during the study?

The researchers used medical records and maternal self-reports to determine what medicines mothers used during pregnancy. Mothers reported on whether their child received an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and also completed rating scales about their child’s behavior, including social, language, and other traits related to autism.

 

What happens next?

Future studies might consider whether the dose or timing of antidepressant use during pregnancy changes its effect on child health outcomes.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Prenatal Antidepressant Exposures and Autism Spectrum Disorder or Traits: A Retrospective, Multi-Cohort Study,” in Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published November 22, 2022

Access the associated article.

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ECHO Study Suggests Eating Processed Foods May Affect How Long Mothers Breastfeed Their Babies

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ECHO Study Suggests Eating Processed Foods May Affect How Long Mothers Breastfeed Their Babies

Authors: Emily Zimmerman, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

 

What were the study results?

The results from this study suggested that pregnant women who reported eating the most processed food and take-out tended to breastfeed for an average of 16 weeks (4 months), while pregnant women who reported eating the least amount of processed food and take-out breastfed for an average of 41 weeks (10 months).

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

This is the first large and diverse cohort study examining the potential link between maternal food quality during pregnancy and breastfeeding duration. The results from this study suggest that pregnant women who eat a lot of processed food or take-out during pregnancy, tend to breastfeed for a shorter period of time.

 

Why was this study needed?

Breastfeeding promotes positive health outcomes for infants, but few studies have looked at the connection between the quality of mothers’ food during pregnancy and the length of time they breastfed. This study examined the relationship between self-reported food quality and preparation (e.g., organic foods, processed foods, take out) during pregnancy and breastfeeding duration.

 

Who was involved?

This study included 751 mothers who were at least 18 years old and their infants from 12 ECHO cohorts located across the United States.

 

What happened during the study?

Mothers reported on their food source and preparation during pregnancy and were placed in one of three groups: high, moderate, or low food source quality. Mothers also reported on their breastfeeding duration. Researchers investigated whether there was a relationship between the mothers’ food quality during pregnancy and the length of time they breastfed.

 

What happens next?

Future studies are needed to understand the relation between breastfeeding duration and maternal food quality over time. These studies can also provide more specific information on maternal diet, food source, and preparation during pregnancy while considering other important factors, like socioeconomic status, that may affect the types of foods mothers have access too.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Association Between Quality of Maternal Prenatal Food Source and Preparation and Breastfeeding Duration in The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcome (ECHO) Program,” in Nutrients.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published November 21, 2022

Access the associated article.

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Effects of Metal Mixture Exposure During Pregnancy on Fetal Growth

Authors: Caitlin Howe, Margaret R. Karagas, et al.

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Author(s): Brett T. Doherty, et al.

How Chemical Exposures in Pregnancy Affect Gene Changes in the Placenta

Author(s): Alison Paquette, Sheela Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH, et al.

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ECHO Study Suggests Oxidative Stress Contributes to Mother’s Risk for Preterm Birth

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ECHO Study Suggests Oxidative Stress Contributes to Mother's Risk for Preterm Birth

Authors: Stephanie Eick, Rachel Morello-Frosch, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

Research reported in this publication was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH).

 

What were the study results?

Pregnant participants who had higher levels of oxidative stress biomarkers during pregnancy were more likely to deliver preterm babies. This association was stronger for participants who experienced preterm birth that was sudden and unexpected or occurred prior to 34 weeks.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

This study is the largest to date to look at the relationship between oxidative stress and preterm birth.

The study included a large group of racially, ethnically, and demographically diverse pregnant participants from across the mainland United States and Puerto Rico. The results from this study support prior findings that oxidative stress is higher among pregnant women who deliver preterm. The methods used in this study may help doctors identify pregnant women who may be at risk for preterm birth and plan targeted interventions.

 

Why was this study needed?

Oxidative stress is a process that can trigger cell damage and can play a role in the development of some diseases. Previous research has shown that oxidative stress in pregnant women may be linked to preterm birth. However, prior studies on this topic have involved small, primarily White populations, which does not reflect the diversity in the United States.

 

Who was involved?

This study involved 1,916 pregnant participants in the United States and Puerto Rico who were enrolled in one of four ECHO cohorts.

 

What happened during the study?

The researchers measured the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers from urine samples collected from participants during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. They used these measurements to determine whether levels of oxidative stress were higher among participants who delivered their babies before 37 weeks (preterm birth).

 

What happens next?

Next, the researchers will study how exposure to environmental chemicals may lead to an increase in oxidative stress, ultimately leading to preterm birth. Future research will also identify what risk factors lead to higher oxidative stress during pregnancy.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “A pooled analysis of four birth cohorts examining urinary oxidative stress biomarkers and preterm birth” in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published November 15, 2022

Access the associated article.

Read More Research Summaries

Studying the Effects of Preterm Birth and Environmental Exposures on Child Health Outcomes

Authors: Michael O’Shea, Monica McGrath, Judy Aschner, Barry Lester, et al.

Effects of Metal Mixture Exposure During Pregnancy on Fetal Growth

Authors: Caitlin Howe, Margaret R. Karagas, et al.

Exposures to environmental chemicals and their effect on important molecules during pregnancy

Author(s): Brett T. Doherty, et al.

How Chemical Exposures in Pregnancy Affect Gene Changes in the Placenta

Author(s): Alison Paquette, Sheela Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH, et al.

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Author(s): Carrie Breton, et al.

Do chemicals that break down slowly in the environment affect how long it takes to become pregnant?  

Author(s): Linda Kahn, Alison Hipwell, Kim Harley, Pam Factor-Litvak, Michele Klein-Fedyshin, Christine Porucznik, Eva Siegel, Yeyi Zhu

A review of studies that look at whether exposure to common non-persistent chemicals in consumer products delays the time it takes to become pregnant

Author(s): Alison E. Hipwell, Linda G. Kahn, Pam Factor-Litvak, et al

ECHO Study Examines Characteristics Associated with Opioid Use During Pregnancy

Collaborative ECHO research led by Ruby Nguyen, PhD of the University of Minnesota and Monica McGrath, ScD of Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, described characteristics that were associated with opioid using during pregnancy. The study included over 20,000 pregnant participants from across the United States and found that the majority of individuals who used opioids during pregnancy were non-Hispanic White and college educated. The researchers also found that opioid use was more common among people who used tobacco or illegal drugs and those who had a history of depression or anxiety. This research, titled “Characteristics of Individuals in the U.S. who Used Opioids during Pregnancy,” is published in the Journal of Women’s Health.

Opioids are a class of drugs commonly used as prescription pain relievers that can cause dependence or addiction. Opioid use has disproportionally impacted pregnant women and their fetuses and previous studies of opioid use during pregnancy have been limited in size and scope. The stigmatization of this population has also affected the collection of data on maternal opioid use during pregnancy. This study utilized a large, geographically diverse group of pregnant participants from 32 ECHO cohorts across the U.S. to investigate rare exposures and factors that may affect an individual’s risk for opioid use during pregnancy.

During this study, the researchers analyzed data from pregnant participants who were enrolled in ECHO cohorts between 1991 and 2021. They used medical records, laboratory tests, and self-reported information to assess opioid use and potentially related factors. Of the 21,905 pregnancies evaluated, only 591 (2.8%) involved opioid use. The majority of opioid use during pregnancy originated from a prescription.

“This was among the largest observational studies of opioid use in pregnancy, and the diverse sample of pregnant women better represents the U.S. population than previous studies,” said Dr. Nguyen. “These findings will help to inform further research on screening tools for opioid use during pregnancy, and the finding that most opioid use originates from prescriptions reinforces the need to better monitor the amount of circulating prescription drugs, particularly in pregnant women.”

Further research is needed to understand the factors that contribute to the use of multiple substances during pregnancy and the interrelationship between substance use and depression or anxiety. The results of this study can contribute to the development of screening tools and procedures for identifying individuals who are potentially at-risk for opioid use during pregnancy.

Read the research summary.

ECHO Study Identifies Depression, Anxiety, and Other Drug Use as Risk Factors for Opioid Use During Pregnancy

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ECHO Study Identifies Depression, Anxiety, and Other Drug Use as Risk Factors for Opioid Use During Pregnancy

Authors: Ruby H.N. Nguyen, Monica McGrath, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

 

What were the study results?

Most of the participants who used opioids were non-Hispanic White and had at least some college education. Opioid use was more common among people who used tobacco or illegal drugs, and those with a history of depression or anxiety. Additionally, opioid use during pregnancy in this study was rare—only 2.8% of participants used opioids during pregnancy, and the majority of opioid use originated from a prescription.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

This is among the largest observational studies of opioid use during pregnancy thus far, and the diverse sample of pregnant participants is more representative of the U.S. population than previous studies. Results from this study strengthened evidence about the co-occurrence of opioid use in pregnancy with depression and use of multiple substances (such as tobacco and illegal drugs). These findings will help to inform further research on screening tools for opioid use during pregnancy. Additionally, the finding that most opioid use originated from prescriptions reinforces the need to reduce the amount of circulating prescription drugs and to better monitor over-prescription of opioids to pregnant women and provide them with alternative treatment solutions for pain management and opioid dependency.

 

Why was this study needed?

Opioids are a class of drugs used as prescription pain relievers that can cause dependence or addiction. The opioid crisis has disproportionately affected women, and use of these drugs can have detrimental effects on women of reproductive ages and on developing fetuses. Previous studies of opioid use during pregnancy have been limited to individuals in specific geographic locations or those with specific types of insurance. The stigmatization of this population has also complicated the collection of data on maternal opioid use during pregnancy. Using a large sample size, this study examined opioid use in a diverse population of pregnant women across the United States to investigate rare exposures – such as polysubstance use - and characteristics associated with opioid use during pregnancy.

 

Who was involved?

This study included over 20,000 pregnant participants from 32 ECHO cohorts across the U.S., creating a large and geographically diverse sample.

 

What happened during the study?

The researchers gathered data from pregnant women who were already participants in ECHO cohorts between 1991 and 2021. Medical records, laboratory tests, and self-reports were used to assess opioid use and potentially related factors, such as demographics, use of other substances, and history of anxiety or depression.

 

What happens next?

This study shows that further research is needed on the factors that may lead to use of multiple substances during pregnancy and the association between substance use and depression. This research can help inform the development of screening tools and procedures for identifying individuals who are potentially at risk for opioid use during pregnancy.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Characteristics of Individuals in the U.S. who Used Opioids during Pregnancy,” in the Journal of Women’s Health.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published November 9, 2022

Access the associated article.

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Study Reveals Rising Levels of Plastics, Pesticides, and Replacement Chemicals in Pregnant Women

Author(s): Jessie P. Buckley, Tracey J. Woodruff, et al.

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Authors: Caitlin Howe, Margaret R. Karagas, et al.

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Author(s): Brett T. Doherty, Megan E. Romano, et al.

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Exposure to Certain Phthalates During Pregnancy May Affect Brain Development in Infant Girls

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Exposure to Certain Phthalates During Pregnancy May Affect Brain Development in Infant Girls

Authors:  Leny Matthew, Craig Newschaffer, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health supported this research.

 

What were the study results?

In this study, researchers found that certain phthalates measured in the infant’s meconium, or first stool, were associated with lower scores on a common test that measures motor, visual, and language skills in girls under age 5.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

This study suggests that prenatal exposure to certain types of phthalates may worsen early childhood learning outcomes for girls but have a neutral or slightly positive effect on boys. By studying meconium, instead of maternal urine, the researchers may be able to capture a longer timeframe of potential pre-natal exposure.

 

Why was the study needed?

Phthalates are widely used in personal care products, cosmetics, plastics, and other household items. These chemicals can cause the body to make substances that are thought to reduce a mother’s level of thyroid hormones, which are critical for fetal brain development. Phthalates are also associated with a reduction in the hormones necessary for sex-specific fetal brain development. Therefore, it is important to test the levels of prenatal phthalate exposure and the potential effects on developing fetuses.

 

Who was involved?

The study involved 956 mother and child pairs from two ECHO research sites—the Safe Passage study (SPS) and the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI). Researchers focused on children who were higher risk for brain and nervous system disorders based on a family history of Autism or exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.

 

What happened during the study?

ECHO researchers measured phthalate levels in meconium from children who had a higher risk for developing brain and nervous system disorders. When the children were 12 months old, researchers tested their motor, visual, and language skills. Researchers used meconium samples rather than the mother’s urine to capture longer-term fetal exposure to phthalates.

 

What happens next?

Future prenatal phthalate exposure studies using meconium samples from newborn infants could investigate the differing effects of phthalate exposure on male versus female infants in order to better understand the reasons why these differences may occur.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “The associations between prenatal phthalate exposure measured in child meconium and cognitive functioning of 12-month-old children in two cohorts at elevated risk for adverse neurodevelopment,” in Environmental Research.

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Published November 2022

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Authors: Jennifer Ames, Ghassan Hamra, et al.

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Author(s): Brett T. Doherty, Megan E. Romano, et al.

Do chemicals that break down slowly in the environment affect how long it takes to become pregnant?  

Author(s): Linda Kahn, Alison Hipwell, Kim Harley, Pam Factor-Litvak, Michele Klein-Fedyshin, Christine Porucznik, Eva Siegel, Yeyi Zhu

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NIH Program Study Finds Pregnant Women are Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals Found in a Variety of Household Products

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

A new National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study found that pregnant women are exposed to a variety of dangerous chemicals commonly found in household products. People can be exposed to these chemicals through the air, contaminated food, household dust, water, plastics, products that contain dyes and pigments, and many other sources.

This study used new methods to measure the levels of 45 chemicals in urine samples from 171 pregnant women participating in the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Two of these chemicals, melamine and cyanuric acid, were found in over 99% of study participants, and exposure to four different types of aromatic amines were also found in nearly all participants. Levels of these chemicals were higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black participants and those exposed to tobacco smoke.

“This is the first national study to reveal that pregnant women in the U.S. are widely exposed to melamine, cyanuric acid, and aromatic amines—chemicals that may be harmful to maternal health and child development,” said Giehae Choi, PhD.

ECHO Program investigators Dr. Choi and Jessie Buckley, PhD, both of Johns Hopkins University, along with Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH of the University of California, San Francisco led this collaborative research effort published in Chemosphere.

Choi, G. et al. Exposure to melamine and its derivatives and aromatic amines among pregnant women in the United States: The ECHO Program. Chemosphere. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135599

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

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ECHO Study Reveals Pregnant Women Are Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals Found in a Variety of Household Products

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ECHO Study Reveals Pregnant Women Are Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals Found in a Variety of Household Products

Authors: Giehae Choi, Jessie Buckley, Tracey Woodruff, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

 

What were the study results?

Melamine and cyanuric acid were found in over 99% of the study participants. Four types of aromatic amines were also found in nearly all pregnant participants. Levels of these chemicals were higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black participants and in those exposed to tobacco smoke. For example, levels of 3,4-dichloroaniline—a chemical used in the production of dyes and pesticides—were more than 100% higher among Black and Hispanic women compared to White women.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

This is the first national study to reveal that pregnant women in the U.S. are widely exposed to melamine, cyanuric acid, and aromatic amines—chemicals that may be harmful to maternal health and child development. This raises concerns for the health of pregnant women and babies.

 

Why was this study needed?

Chemicals like melamine, cyanuric acid, and aromatic amines are commonly used to make a variety of household products. Melamine can be found in dishware, plastics, flooring, kitchen counters, and pesticides. Cyanuric acid can be found in disinfectants, plastics, and swimming pools. And aromatic amines can be found in hair coloring, mascara, tattoo ink, paints, tobacco smoke, and diesel fumes. People can be exposed to these chemicals through the air, contaminated food, household dust, water, plastics, products that contain dyes and pigments, and many other sources.

Melamine was globally recognized as toxic after baby formula poisoning incidents in 2007 to 2008, which resulted in health problems in children including kidney stones, kidney failure, and in some cases, death. Research suggests that melamine may also be linked to reduced brain development. There is limited research on the effects of melamine on adults, although preliminary evidence suggests that it may be linked to cancer and other negative health outcomes. Prior studies on melamine were only conducted among pregnant women in Asian countries or limited to non-pregnant women in the U.S. Despite melamine’s potential harm and common use in household products, population-level exposure is not regularly monitored in the U.S.

 

Who was involved?

This study included 171 pregnant participants from nine ECHO cohorts located in California, Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, and Puerto Rico. Of these participants, 40% were Hispanic, 34% were White, 20% were Black, 4% were Asians, and the remaining 2% were from other or multiple racial groups.

 

What happened during the study?

Researchers measured the levels of 45 chemicals in urine samples collected from participants during pregnancy. They used new methods to capture the levels of these chemicals in the urine samples, even those present in small amounts. Then, the researchers compared chemical levels across participants with different sociodemographic backgrounds.

 

What happens next?

Researchers are expanding on this study to look at the effects of higher exposures to these chemicals during pregnancy in over 1,700 pregnant participants and investigate whether these exposures are linked with child health outcomes.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Exposure to melamine and its derivatives and aromatic amines among pregnant women in the United States: The ECHO Program,” in Chemosphere.

Published August 30, 2022

Access the associated article.

Read More Research Summaries about Chemical Exposures and Pregnancy

Study Reveals Rising Levels of Plastics, Pesticides, and Replacement Chemicals in Pregnant Women

Author(s): Jessie P. Buckley, Tracey J. Woodruff, et al.

Effects of Metal Mixture Exposure During Pregnancy on Fetal Growth

Authors: Caitlin Howe, Margaret R. Karagas, et al.

New ECHO Research Finds Pregnant Women are Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals Found in a Variety of Household Products

Collaborative ECHO research led by Giehae Choi, PhD and Jessie Buckley, PhD, both of Johns Hopkins University, along with Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH of the University of California, San Francisco, investigates whether pregnant women are exposed to potentially dangerous chemicals commonly found in a variety of household products, including plastics, disinfectants, and products that contain dyes or pigments. Two of these chemicals, melamine and cyanuric acid, were found in over 99% of study participants, and exposure to four different types of aromatic amines were also found in nearly all participants. Levels of these chemicals were higher among participants of color and those exposed to tobacco smoke. This research, titled “Exposure to melamine and its derivatives and aromatic amines among pregnant women in the United States: The ECHO Program,” is published in Chemosphere.

This research focused on melamine, along with related chemicals like cyanuric acid and aromatic amines. Even though these chemicals are found in a wide variety of household products, their exposures are not regularly monitored in human populations. In general, people can be exposed to harmful chemicals through the air, contaminated food, household dust, water, plastics, products that contain dyes and pigments, tobacco smoke, diesel fumes, and more. Melamine is known to cause health problems in children, but there is limited research on its effects in pregnant women, and in adults in general.

To address this gap, this study used new methods to measure the levels of 45 chemicals in urine samples from 171 pregnant participants across nine ECHO cohorts. Of these participants, 40% were Hispanic, 34% were White, 20% were Black, 4% were Asians, and the remaining 2% were from other or multiple racial groups. The researchers also examined data on the participants’ race and ethnicity, age, education, and marital status to determine whether chemical exposure was higher in different sociodemographic groups. Levels of most chemicals were higher among Black and Hispanic women. For example, levels of 3,4-dichloroaniline—a chemical used in the production of dyes and pesticides—were more than 100% higher among Black and Hispanic women compared to White women.

“This is the first national study to reveal that pregnant women in the U.S. are widely exposed to melamine, cyanuric acid, and aromatic amines—chemicals that may be harmful to maternal health and child development,” said Dr. Choi. “This raises concerns for the health of pregnant women and babies.”

Future research will expand this study to include over 1,700 pregnant participants and investigate whether higher exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy might be related to negative child health outcomes.

Read the research summary.