Objectives: Parabens, which are common antimicrobial preservatives, are considered to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Previous studies regarding maternal exposure to paraben have shown that disturbances in physiological endocrine and metabolic signals during early childhood may lead to the long-term adverse health effects in children. We investigated the effects of maternal exposure to paraben on childhood obesity and gut microbiome diversity. Methods: We collected the data on 284 maternalinfant pairs from the central region of Taiwan Maternal- Infant Cohort Study. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect 4 common parabens, including methyl-paraben, ethyl-paraben, propyl-paraben, and butyl-paraben in maternal urinary samples. In addition, shotgun metagenomics sequencing was used to analyze 98 children’s fecal samples. Results: Greater maternal exposure to paraben was observed in boys who were significantly shorter and with wider chest circumferences and in girls with higher body mass index. Increased maternal exposure to paraben significantly reduced the abundance of several species, such as Barnesiella, Bacteroides uniformis, and Eubacterium rectale, but increased the abundance of several opportunistic pathogens, which interfered with the regulation of energy consumption. Conclusions: Maternal exposure to paraben promoted the development of obesity in girls and disrupted the diversity of gut microbial community. Maternal exposure to paraben may promote obesity in children at preschooler age. In addition, additional studies on the effects of the composition of the gut microbiome after puberty are required.
Date:
2023-02-24
Relation:
Taiwan Journal of Public Health. 2023 Feb 24;42(1):62-74.
