What are phenols and how do they affect pregnancy?

Exposure to chemicals during pregnancy may increase the risk of respiratory problems in children, according to a recent study.

@Canva

Phenols, including parabens and alkylphenols, are used in consumer products for their preservative and antimicrobial properties. A new study led by researchers at Kumamoto University now uncovers a potential link between exposure to certain chemicals, such as phenols, during pregnancy and the development of asthma in children.

They have taken part in analyzing data of more than 3,500 mother-child pairs who have joined a nationwide wide-scale research entitled the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS).

Since ‘small’ exposure to phenol was hitherto thought of as safe, possible functions as an endocrine disruptor present concerns of possible long-term health problems such as a recent surge of allergic diseases, asthma being among them, in particular for pregnant individuals in sensitive periods.

The study

Researchers at the Kyushu-Okinawa Center of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, led by Dr. Shohei Kuraoka and his team, measured 24 types of phenols in the urine of pregnant women. Then they followed up on their children’s health status until they were four years old. This research will enlighten us on how the chemical exposure daily could be related to respiratory and allergic conditions in children.

These results point to a pressing need for careful assessment of chemical exposures during pregnancy. Future work will be directed at these pathways and the achievement of safe threshold exposures.

Source: Science Direct