Anne L Dunlop

2 months ago | nature.com | Ziyin Tang |Anne L Dunlop |Patricia A. Brennan |Stephanie M. Eick |Blake Rushing |Susan McRitchie | +13 more

We evaluated associations among exposure to prenatal phthalate metabolites, perturbations of the newborn metabolome, and infant neurobehavioral functioning in mother-newborn pairs enrolled in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort during 2016–2018. We quantified eight phthalate metabolites in prenatal urine samples collected between 8- and 14-weeks’ (visit 1; n = 216) and 24- and 30-weeks’ gestation (visit 2; n = 145) and metabolite features in newborn dried-blood spot samples collected at delivery. Associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations and metabolic feature intensities at both visits were examined using adjusted generalized linear models (MWAS). Then, an exploratory meet-in-the-middle (MITM) analysis was conducted in a subset with NICU Neonatal Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) scores (visit 1 n = 81; visit 2 n = 71). In both the MWAS and MITM, many of the confirmed metabolites are involved in tyrosine and tryptophan metabolism, including tryptophan, tyrosine, thyroxine, and serine. This analysis elucidates how prenatal phthalate exposure disrupts the newborn metabolome and infant neurobehavioral outcomes. Prenatal exposure to phthalates has been linked to metabolic and neurodevelopmental disruptions but the mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the authors show that prenatal phthalate exposure alters newborn metabolite profiles, particularly in tyrosine and tryptophan pathways, which are associated with infant neurobehavioral outcomes.

Jul 24, 2024 | mdatl.com | Anne L Dunlop |Haley Harward |Erin Poe Ferranti

Access to maternity care is essential for achieving optimal maternal health and maternal health equity while preventing poor maternal health outcomes (including severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality).1,2 The lack of access to risk-appropriate care contributes to the excess rate of maternal mortality in the United States relative to comparable nations and to the stark disparities in maternal health outcomes within the United States.