There are known health concerns linked to prenatal tobacco and cannabis exposures. This study aims to objectively determine the level of exposure to tobacco and cannabis in pregnant individuals from six race/ethnicity groups (Black, Hispanic, Asian Indian, Native American, Vietnamese, and White) in the first three years following legalization of recreational marijuana use in 2018 in California. We used a cross-sectional sample of prenatal screening program participants (2018-2020) from southern and central California (N = 925).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver two-thirds of pregnant women in the U.S. have insufficient 25(OH)D (Vitamin D) concentrations, which can adversely impact fetal health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Behav Immun
July 2023
Immune dysregulation, including aberrant peripheral cytokine/chemokine levels, is implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While the diagnosis of ASD is more common in males compared to females, sex effects in immune dysregulation related to neurodevelopment remain understudied. The aim of this exploratory study was to determine whether there are sex-specific effects in neonatal immune dysregulation with respect to an ASD or delayed development (DD) diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious studies on in utero exposure to maternal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or maternal active smoking and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have not been entirely consistent, and no studies have examined in utero cotinine concentrations as an exposure classification method. We measured cotinine in stored second trimester maternal serum for 498 ASD cases and 499 controls born in California in 2011-2012. We also obtained self-reported maternal cigarette smoking during and immediately prior to pregnancy, as well as covariate data, from birth records.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe opioid crisis is a national health emergency with immense morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic cost. Emergency department (ED) pain management is tightly linked to the issue of opioid use disorder (OUD), because opioid exposure is necessary for development of OUD. Emergency nurses are on the frontlines of this complex problem, yet little, if any, attention has been paid to the role they play in the prevention and management of either pain or OUD in this unique and important setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
February 2021
Exposures to phthalates, parabens, and other phenols are often correlated due to their ubiquitous use in personal care products and plastics. Examining these compounds as a complex mixture may clarify inconsistent relationships between individual chemicals and childhood adiposity. Using data from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study, a longitudinal cohort of children in Salinas Valley, California ( = 309), we examined biomarkers of 11 phthalate metabolites and 9 phenols, including several parabens and bisphenol A, measured in maternal urine at two time points during pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncreasing vitamin D deficiency and evidence for vitamin D's role in brain and immune function have recently led to studies of neurodevelopment; however, few are specific to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and vitamin D in pregnancy, a likely susceptibility period. We examined this in a case-control study of 2000-2003 Southern Californian births; ASD and intellectual disability (ID) were identified through the Department of Developmental Services and controls from birth certificates (N = 534, 181, and 421, respectively, in this analysis). Total 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was measured in mid-pregnancy serum, categorized as deficient (<50 nmol/L), insufficient (50-74 nmol/L), or sufficient (≥75 nmol/L, referent category), and examined continuously (per 25 nmol/L).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chemicals found in personal care products and plastics have been associated with asthma, allergies, and lung function, but methods to address real life exposure to mixtures of these chemicals have not been applied to these associations.
Methods: We quantified urinary concentrations of eleven phthalate metabolites, four parabens, and five other phenols in mothers twice during pregnancy and assessed probable asthma, aeroallergies, and lung function in their age seven children. We implemented Bayesian Profile Regression (BPR) to cluster women by their exposures to these chemicals and tested the clusters for differences in outcome measurements.
Respiratory rate (RR) is a predictor of adverse outcomes. However, RRs are inaccurately measured in the hospital. We conducted a quality improvement (QI) initiative using plan-do-study-act methodology on one inpatient unit of a safety-net hospital to improve RR accuracy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Question: Are in-utero or peripubertal exposures to phthalates, parabens and other phenols found in personal care products associated with timing of pubertal onset in boys and girls?
Summary Answer: We found some associations of altered pubertal timing in girls, but little evidence in boys.
What Is Known Already: Certain chemicals in personal care and consumer products, including low molecular weight phthalates, parabens and phenols, or their precursors, are associated with altered pubertal timing in animal studies.
Study Design, Size, Duration: Data were from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) longitudinal cohort study which followed 338 children in the Salinas Valley, California, from before birth to adolescence.
Background: The prevalence of asthma and allergy is increasing in US children. In utero exposure to chemicals used in personal care products and plastics may contribute to increase in these diseases.
Methods: We quantified urinary concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A in mothers twice during pregnancy in 1999-2000 in Salinas, California.
Background: Personal care product chemicals may be contributing to risk for asthma and other atopic illnesses. The existing literature is conflicting, and many studies do not control for multiple chemical exposures.
Methods: We quantified concentrations of three phthalate metabolites, three parabens, and four other phenols in urine collected twice during pregnancy from 392 women.
Background: Animal studies suggest that phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in many consumer products, may impact the timing of puberty.
Objectives: We aimed to determine the association of prenatal exposure to high-molecular-weight phthalates and BPA with pubertal timing in boys and girls participating in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) longitudinal cohort study.
Methods: We quantified urinary concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites and BPA at two time points during pregnancy among participating mothers ([Formula: see text]) and conducted clinical Tanner staging of puberty on their children every 9 months between 9 and 13 y of age.
Background: Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked with premature mortality, but sources of PM2.5 have been less studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnvironmental phenols and parabens are commonly used in personal care products and other consumer products and human exposure to these chemicals is widespread. Although human and animal studies suggest an association between exposure to phenols and parabens and thyroid hormone levels, few studies have investigated the association of in utero exposure to these chemicals and thyroid hormones in pregnant women and their neonates. We measured four environmental phenols (triclosan, benzophenone-3, and 2,4- and 2,5-dichlorophenol), and three parabens (methyl-, propyl-, and butyl paraben) in urine collected from mothers at two time points during pregnancy as part of the CHAMACOS (Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas) study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUse of personal care products, such as makeup, soaps, and sunscreen, may expose adolescent girls to potential endocrine disruptors, including phthalates, parabens, and other phenols. We evaluated the relationship between recent self-reported personal care product use and concentrations for urinary metabolites of phthalates, parabens, triclosan, and benzophenone-3 (BP-3) in 100 Latina adolescents. Girls who reported using makeup every day vs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackgroundAlthough experiments in animals suggest that phthalates may have obesogenic effects, studies on prenatal exposure in children show inconsistent results.MethodsWe measured urinary concentrations of 11 phthalate metabolites collected twice during pregnancy from mothers participating in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) cohort study (N=345). Height, weight, waist circumference, and percent body fat were assessed in their children between 5 and 12 years of age.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile many studies have investigated the health effects associated with acute exposure to fine particulate matter (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5)), very few have considered the risks of specific sources of PM2.
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