Publications by authors named "Arbuckle T"
Context: During pregnancy, women who experience certain pregnancy complications show elevations in biomarkers of inflammation and insulin resistance; however, few studies have examined these cardiometabolic biomarkers in the decade following pregnancy.
Objective: To examine the association between pregnancy complications and cardiometabolic biomarkers 9 years postpartum including: blood pressure, blood lipids, body fat percentage, insulin resistance (glucose, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, leptin, adiponectin) and inflammation (hs-C-reactive protein).
Methods: Using data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) cohort study (2008-2021) we determined 3 groups of pregnancy complications: 1) hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (n=35); any pregnancy complication in the index pregnancy, defined as preterm birth, HDP, impaired glucose tolerance or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (n=55); or self-reported recurrence of one of these pregnancy complications (n=19).
Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous chemicals routinely detected in personal care products (PCPs). However, few studies have evaluated the impact of PCP use on PFAS concentrations in pregnant and lactating populations.
Objective: We investigated associations between PCP use and PFAS concentrations in prenatal plasma and human milk.
Background: Folic acid (FA) supplementation may attenuate the associations between gestational exposure to certain chemicals and autism or autistic-like behaviors, but to our knowledge, this has not been assessed for lead.
Objectives: We examined whether the relationship between gestational blood-lead levels (BLLs) and autistic-like behaviors was modified by gestational plasma total folate concentrations, FA supplementation, and maternal methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase () 677C>T genotype.
Methods: We used data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals study (2008-2011), a Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort study.
Background: Human milk (HM) composition data are widely used in clinical, regulatory, and public health initiatives. The existing HM profiles in United States and Canadian nutrient databanks are outdated and now considered inappropriate to estimate current nutrient intakes. Recent reviews have underscored the limited North American data available to generate a new profile.
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- The study investigates the potential link between prenatal exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and neurodevelopmental issues in children, using blood samples from 757 pregnant women.
- Results showed that higher maternal PFOA levels were linked to reduced behavioral and social impairments in children, with boys showing more significant associations than girls.
- Overall, the findings suggest weak correlations between prenatal PFAS exposure and neurobehavioral outcomes, indicating that higher exposure may not lead to notable negative developmental issues.
Background: Few high-quality studies have evaluated associations between urinary glyphosate or its environmental degradate (aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA)] and preterm birth (PTB).
Objectives: To quantify associations between urinary glyphosate and AMPA and preterm birth in the pan-Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study and determine if associations differ by fetal sex.
Methods: We measured first trimester urinary glyphosate and AMPA concentrations in MIREC participants who were recruited between 2008-2011 from 10 Canadian cities.
Article Synopsis
- - The review explores how vitamin D may interact with toxic metals during pregnancy through mechanisms like nephrotoxicity, absorption, endocrine disruption, and oxidative stress.
- - Limited studies indicate that higher vitamin D levels early in pregnancy could lead to lower toxic metal levels later, but a trial with pregnant women showed mixed results regarding vitamin D supplementation.
- - There is a need for more research to determine the true relationship and effects of vitamin D on toxic metal exposure, as nutritional interventions could potentially help prevent negative health outcomes.
Background: Gestational exposure to toxic environmental chemicals and maternal social hardships are individually associated with impaired fetal growth, but it is unclear whether the effects of environmental chemical exposure on infant birth weight are modified by maternal hardships.
Methods: We used data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a pan-Canadian cohort of 1982 pregnant females enrolled between 2008 and 2011. We quantified eleven environmental chemical concentrations from two chemical classes - six organochlorine compounds (OCs) and five metals - that were detected in ≥ 70% of blood samples collected during the first trimester.
Background: Several legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been regulated around the world. There is growing concern over the proliferation of alternative PFAS, as well as PFAS precursors. Biomonitoring data for PFAS are critical for assessing exposure and human health risk.
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- The study aimed to investigate how maternal exposure to heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese, and mercury affects time-to-pregnancy and infertility among pregnant women in Canada.
- Conducted through hospitals and clinics in ten cities, the research involved 1,784 women, measuring metal concentrations in their blood during the first trimester and analyzing the data using statistical models.
- Findings revealed that most metals were not linked to time-to-pregnancy or infertility, but higher lead levels were associated with a slightly shorter time-to-pregnancy, indicating a possible need for further research on lead’s impact.
Novel halogenated flame retardants (NHFRs) have been developed to replace those brominated flame retardants that have been restricted due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity, therefore, it is important to determine whether these replacement products are present at detectable concentrations in Canadians. NHFRs were measured in human milk samples (n = 541) collected from across Canada between 2008 and 2011, which is the first pan-Canadian dataset for these chemicals in human milk. Among the 15 measured NHFRs and eight methoxy-polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs), nine NHFRs and two MeO-PBDEs (6-MeO-PBDE 47 and 2-MeO-PBDE 68) were detected at a frequency of more than 9%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The pan-Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study was established to determine whether maternal environmental chemical exposures were associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in 2001 pregnant women.
Objectives: The MIREC-Child Development (CD PLUS) study followed this cohort with the goal of assessing the potential effects of prenatal exposures on anthropometry and neurodevelopment in early childhood.
Population: MIREC families with children between the ages of 15 months and 5 years who had agreed to be contacted for future research (n = 1459) were invited to participate in MIREC-CD PLUS which combines data collected from an online Maternal Self-Administered Questionnaire with biomonitoring and neurodevelopment data collected from two in-person visits.
Article Synopsis
- Pyrethroid insecticides, commonly used in homes and agriculture, may harm human brain development based on preliminary studies linking them to neurobehavioral issues in children.
- The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between urinary pyrethroid metabolite levels and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preschool-aged children, while considering potential differences between boys and girls.
- Data was collected from 179 children in Canada, utilizing urine samples to measure pyrethroid metabolites and various neurodevelopmental assessments to explore these associations.
Background: Concern over the health effects of BPA, particularly for the developing fetus, has led to an increasing use of bisphenol analogues in industrial and consumer products, which may be as hormonally active as BPA. Biomonitoring data for many bisphenol analogues, especially in pregnant populations, are limited.
Methods: We measured concentrations of 14 bisphenol analogues in 1 trimester urine samples (n = 1851) from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Canadian pregnancy cohort (2008-2011).
Phthalates are non-persistent chemicals measured as metabolites in urine. Over time, new metabolites have been identified. In the original Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study (2008-2011), we measured 11 phthalate metabolites in first trimester urine samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prenatal and childhood mercury (Hg) exposures have been associated with negative impacts on child neurodevelopment. It is unclear if associations persist at the low Hg exposures typical in Western countries.
Objective: To examine associations between prenatal/childhood blood Hg concentrations and child IQ in Canadian male and female children while considering the potential modifying role of prenatal fish consumption.
Article Synopsis
- Exposure to PFAS is linked to neurotoxicity, yet there's limited evidence connecting prenatal exposure to impacts on child neurodevelopment, especially regarding IQ and executive functioning.
- The study involved analyzing blood samples from pregnant women to measure PFAS levels and assess children's IQ and executive functioning skills at a young age using various assessment tools.
- Results indicated that higher levels of PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS were negatively correlated with children's performance IQ, with significant differences noted based on the child's sex.
Background: Toxic metals, such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg), may be associated with a higher risk of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, whereas manganese (Mn) is an essential metal that may be protective.
Objectives: We estimated the individual, independent, and joint associations of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Mn on the risk of developing gestational hypertension and preeclampsia in a cohort of Canadian women.
Methods: Metal concentrations were analyzed in first and third trimester maternal blood ().
Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are widely used in numerous consumer products for their flame retardant and plasticizing properties. Despite potential widespread exposure, biomonitoring data during critical windows of development are scarce and limited to the most widely studied metabolites. We quantified urinary concentrations of multiple OPE metabolites in a vulnerable Canadian population.
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- - The study investigates how low levels of toxic metals (like lead and arsenic) in pregnant women are linked to preterm birth (PTB) and examines the role of vitamin D in this association.
- - Results show that higher blood lead concentrations increase the risk of PTB and spontaneous PTB, especially in women with low vitamin D levels, suggesting that vitamin D may offer some protective effects.
- - The findings highlight the need for further research on the connection between low-level metal exposure and PTB, particularly in populations with vitamin D deficiency.
As part of the pan-Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study, human milk samples were collected between 2008 and 2011, and analyzed for mirex, an organochlorine insecticide and flame retardant, in addition to dechlorane plus (syn- and anti-DDC-CO), the flame retardant replacement for mirex. Mirex was analyzed separately, using a method for the analysis of existing organochlorine insecticides, while the presence of DDC-CO isomers was determined using a method developed for the detection of emerging flame retardants. Mirex was detected in all samples analyzed (n = 298), while syn- and anti-DDC-CO were present in 61.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Glyphosate is the most widely applied herbicide in agriculture. Glufosinate is a broad spectrum herbicide used to manage glyphosate-resistant weeds. Despite the widespread use of these herbicides, biomonitoring data - which inform risk assessment and management - are sparse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Achieving optimal folate status during early gestation reduces the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). While inadequate folate intake remains a concern, it is becoming increasingly common for individuals to consume higher than recommended doses of folic acid (FA) with minimal additional benefit.
Objective: Here, we sought to investigate the determinants, including FA supplement dose and use, of plasma total and individual folate vitamer concentrations in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy.