Phenol, Paraben Exposure Linked to Hypertension During Pregnancy

Lower SBP, higher DBP seen in association with individual analytes, with most consistent results for methyl paraben, propyl paraben with DBP

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Phenol and paraben exposure may be associated with hypertension during pregnancy, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Julia R. Varshavsky, M.P.H., Ph.D., from the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, and colleagues examined associations between individual phenols, parabens, and their mixture on maternal blood pressure (BP) measurements and hypertension during pregnancy among 1,433 women. The relationships were examined cross-sectionally at two time points during pregnancy (16 to 20 and 24 to 28 weeks of gestation) and longitudinally.

The researchers found that exposure to multiple analytes and the overall mixture was associated with a trend toward higher odds of hypertension during pregnancy, especially at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation (adjusted mixture odds ratio, 1.57). Individual analytes were also associated with lower systolic BP (SBP) and higher diastolic BP (DBP), with the results from the linear mixed models most consistent for methyl paraben or propyl paraben with increased DBP (β = 0.78 and 0.85, respectively), and for bisphenol A, which was associated with lower SBP (β = −0.57). There was evidence of effect modification by fetal sex, with a strong inverse association between overall exposure mixture and SBP among those carrying female fetuses.

“These everyday products that we think are safe may be actually harming us and our babies at a critical time during pregnancy,” Varshavsky said in a statement. “In the largest study to date, we found that the combined effect of phenol and paraben mixtures increased risk of hypertension during pregnancy among a vulnerable population of women in Puerto Rico who are also dealing with a disproportionate burden of exposure to other toxic chemicals, poverty, and climate change-related disasters like hurricanes and flooding.”