Prenatal phthalate exposure and reduced masculine play in boys

  1. S. H. Swan1,
  2. F. Liu1,
  3. M. Hines2,
  4. R. L. Kruse3,
  5. C. Wang4,
  6. J. B. Redmon5,
  7. A. Sparks6,
  8. B. Weiss7

Article first published online: 16 NOV 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2009.01019.x

Issue

International Journal of Andrology

International Journal of Andrology

Special Issue: Proceedings of the 5th Copenhagen Workshop on Endocrine Disrupters, 20-22 May 2009

Volume 33, Issue 2, pages 259–269, April 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Swan, S. H., Liu, F., Hines, M., Kruse, R. L., Wang, C., Redmon, J. B., Sparks, A. and Weiss, B. (2010), Prenatal phthalate exposure and reduced masculine play in boys. International Journal of Andrology, 33: 259–269. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2009.01019.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

  3. 3

    Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

  4. 4

    Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

  5. 5

    Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA

  6. 6

    Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

  7. 7

    Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

*Shanna H. Swan, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 668, Rochester, NY 14624, USA. E-mail: shanna_swan@urmc.rochester.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 14 MAR 2010
  2. Article first published online: 16 NOV 2009
  3. Received 1 September 2009; revised 18 October 2009; accepted 22 October 2009

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Keywords:

  • di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate;
  • dibutyl phthalate;
  • play behaviour;
  • prenatal exposure phthalates;
  • Pre-School Activities Inventory;
  • sex-dimorphism

Summary

Foetal exposure to antiandrogens alters androgen-sensitive development in male rodents, resulting in less male-typical behaviour. Foetal phthalate exposure is also associated with male reproductive development in humans, but neurodevelopmental outcomes have seldom been examined in relation to phthalate exposure. To assess play behaviour in relation to phthalate metabolite concentration in prenatal urine samples, we recontacted participants in the Study for Future Families whose phthalate metabolites had been measured in mid-pregnancy urine samples. Mothers completed a questionnaire including the Pre-School Activities Inventory, a validated instrument used to assess sexually dimorphic play behaviour. We examined play behaviour scores (masculine, feminine and composite) in relationship to (log10) phthalate metabolite concentrations in mother’s urine separately for boys (N = 74) and girls (N = 71). Covariates (child’s age, mother’s age and education and parental attitude towards atypical play choices) were controlled using multivariate regression models. Concentrations of dibutyl phthalate metabolites, mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) and their sum, were associated with a decreased (less masculine) composite score in boys (regression coefficients −4.53,−3.61 and −4.20, p = 0.01, 0.07 and 0.04 for MnBP, MiBP and their sum respectively). Concentrations of two urinary metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and the sum of these DEHP metabolites plus mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were associated with a decreased masculine score (regression coefficients −3.29,−2.94 and −3.18, p = 0.02, 0.04 and 0.04) for MEHHP, MEOHP and the sum respectively. No strong associations were seen between behaviour and urinary concentrations of any other phthalate metabolites in boys, or between girls’ scores and any metabolites. These data, although based on a small sample, suggest that prenatal exposure to antiandrogenic phthalates may be associated with less male-typical play behaviour in boys. Our findings suggest that these ubiquitous environmental chemicals have the potential to alter androgen-responsive brain development in humans.

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