Longitudinal impact of phthalates exposure on allergic diseases in children.

BACKGROUND: Environmental chemicals like phthalates, phenols and parabens may impact children's immune development and contribute to risk of atopic diseases and asthma. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associations between prenatal and childhood phthalate exposure and child atopic diseases at the age of 9 years. METHODS: The current analysis is restricted to 145 mother-child pairs from the prospective Polish Mother and Child cohort (REPRO_PL). Phthalate metabolite levels were assessed in the urine samples collected from mothers during the 3 rd trimester of pregnancy and from children at age of 2 and 9 years. For the appropriate recognition of children's health status, a questionnaire was administered to the mothers and completed with information from the medical chart of each child. The clinical examination was performed by a pediatrician/allergist in the presence of the mother or a relative. RESULTS: Higher urine concentration of 5oxo-MEHP increased the risk of food allergy in children at 9 years of age (O R =1.75, 95% CI:1.19-2.57;p = 0.004) and decreased the risk of atopic dermatitis (OR=0.49,95%CI:0.27-0.87;p =0.015). For 5OH-MEHP increased the risk of atopic dermatitis was observed OR = 1.90,95%CI:1.183.05;p=0.008). Higher urine concentration of MBzP increased the risk of asthma in children (OR = 1.67,95%CI:1.08-2.58; p = 0.021) but the risk of asthma decreased when the concentration of MEHP was higher (OR = 0.64,95% CI:10.43-0.97;p=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Our study has not provided clear evidence for the negative impact of phthalate exposure during pregnancy and within the 9 years after birth on allergic diseases in children.