Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Environmental factors affecting pregnancy outcomes

  • Review
  • Published:
Endocrine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Pregnancy represents a fragile period in the life of a woman, vulnerable to hazardous environmental substances which might affect maternal and fetal metabolism. The possible influence of environmental factors, including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), upon the mother and the fetus before and/or during pregnancy might be associated directly and/or indirectly to deleterious pregnancy outcomes. Because the existence of such associations would be, to our view, of major importance to the scientific community, their investigation is the scope of this critical review.

Methods

This critical review includes in vivo animal and human studies regarding the role of environmental factors, including EDCs, on pregnancy outcomes complying with the SANRA (a scale for the quality assessment of narrative review articles) questions for narrative reviews. Studies were identified by searching the MEDLINE (PubMed and PubMed Central), the Cochrane library and the Google Scholar databases till October 2022 with the combinations of the appropriate key words (detailed environmental factors including EDCs AND detailed negative pregnancy outcomes) as well as by scanning references from already included articles and relevant reviews manually. Because environmental factors and EDCs have been associated to epigenetic alterations, special care has been given to EDC-induced transgenerational effects on pregnancy outcomes.

Results

The existing evidence suggests positive associations between specific environmental factors and negative pregnancy outcomes such as ectopic pregnancies, pregnancy losses, gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm births, birth defects, intrauterine growth restriction, and small or large for gestational age babies.

Conclusion

Environmental factors and EDCs may have a catalytic effect on the course and the outcomes of pregnancy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Organization, W.H.: International classification of functioning, disability and health: ICF. World Health Organization (2001)

  2. Safety, I.P. on C.: Global assessment on the state of the science of endocrine disruptors. (2002)

  3. L.C. Chappell, P.T. Seed, J.Myers, R.S.Taylor, L.C. Kenny, G.A. Dekker, J.J. Walker, L.M.E. McCowan, R.A.North, L. Poston. Exploration and confirmation of factors associated with uncomplicated pregnancy in nulliparous women: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 347, (2013). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f6398

  4. A.J. Gaskins, S.A. Missmer, J.W. Rich-Edwards, P.L. Williams, I. Souter, J.E. Chavarro, Demographic, lifestyle, and reproductive risk factors for ectopic pregnancy. Fertil. Steril. 110, 1328–1337 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.08.022

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. R.N. Hoover, M. Hyer, R.M Pfeiffer, E. Adam, B. Bond, A.L Cheville, T. Colton, P. Hartge, E.E Hatch, A.L Herbst, B.Y. Karlan, R. Kaufman, K.L Noller, J.R Palmer, S.J. Robboy, R.C. Saal, W. Strohsnitter, L. Titus-Ernstoff, R.Troisi. Adverse Health Outcomes in Women Exposed In Utero to Diethylstilbestrol, https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1013961?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

  6. T. Xue, T. Zhu, G. Geng, Q. Zhang, Association between pregnancy loss and ambient PM2·5 using survey data in Africa: a longitudinal case-control study, 1998–2016. Lancet Planet. Health. 3, e219–ee225 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30047-6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine: Obesity and reproduction: a committee opinion. Fertil. Steril. 104, 1116–1126 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.08.018

  8. J.M. Campbell, M. Lane, J.A. Owens, H.W. Bakos, Paternal obesity negatively affects male fertility and assisted reproduction outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Reprod. BioMedicine Online. 31, 593–604 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2015.07.012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. G. Sebastiani, V. Andreu-Fernández, A. Herranz Barbero, V. Aldecoa-Bilbao, X. Miracle, E. Meler Barrabes, A. Balada Ibañez, M. Astals-Vizcaino, S. Ferrero-Martínez, M.D. Gómez-Roig, O. García-Algar, Eating Disorders During Gestation: Implications for Mother’s Health, Fetal Outcomes, and Epigenetic Changes. Front. Pediatrics. 8, 587 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.00587

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. J. Li, H. Zhao, J.-M. Song, J. Zhang, Y.-L. Tang, C.-M. Xin, A meta-analysis of risk of pregnancy loss and caffeine and coffee consumption during pregnancy. Int. J. Gynecol. Obstet. 130, 116–122 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.03.033

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. J.B. Dagher, C.K. Hahn-Townsend, A. Kaimal, M.A. Mansi, J.E. Henriquez, D.G. Tran, C.R. Laurent, C.J. Bacak, H.E. Buechter, C. Cambric, J. Spivey, Y.-J. Chuang, E.J. Campbell, A. Mandal, P.S. Mohankumar, S.M.J. MohanKumar, Independent and combined effects of Bisphenol A and Diethylhexyl Phthalate on gestational outcomes and offspring development in Sprague-Dawley rats. Chemosphere 263, 128307 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128307

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. C. Messerlian, I. Souter, A.J. Gaskins, P.L. Williams, J.B. Ford, Y.-H. Chiu, A.M. Calafat, R. Hauser, for the Earth Study Team: Urinary phthalate metabolites and ovarian reserve among women seeking infertility care. Hum. Reprod. 31, 75–83 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dev292

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. R. Quansah, F.A. Armah, D.K. Essumang, I. Luginaah, E. Clarke, K. Marfoh, S.J. Cobbina, E. Nketiah-Amponsah, P.B. Namujju, S. Obiri, M. Dzodzomenyo, Association of Arsenic with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes/Infant Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Environ. Health Perspect. 123, 412–421 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307894

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. X. Wang, X. Chen, X. Feng, F. Chang, M. Chen, Y. Xia, L. Chen. Triclosan causes spontaneous abortion accompanied by decline of estrogen sulfotransferase activity in humans and mice. Sci Rep. 5, (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18252

  15. A. Conforti, M. Mascia, G. Cioffi, C. De Angelis, G. Coppola, P. De Rosa, R. Pivonello, C. Alviggi, G. De Placido, Air pollution and female fertility: a systematic review of literature. Reprod. Biol. Endocrinol. 16, 117 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-018-0433-z

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. M.B. Cavalcante, M. Sarno, A.B. Peixoto, E.A. Júnior, R. Barini, Obesity and recurrent miscarriage: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Res. 45, 30–38 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.13799

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. L.M. Begtrup, I.O. Specht, P.E.C. Hammer, E.M. Flachs, A.H. Garde, J. Hansen, Å.M. Hansen, H.A. Kolstad, A.D. Larsen, J.P. Bonde, Night work and miscarriage: a Danish nationwide register-based cohort study. Occup. Environ. Med. 76, 302–308 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2018-105592

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. H. Klonoff-Cohen, P. Lam-Kruglick, C. Gonzalez, Effects of maternal and paternal alcohol consumption on the success rates of in vitro fertilization and gamete intrafallopian transfer. Fertil. Steril. 79, 330–339 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0015-0282(02)04582-X

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. B.L. Pineles, E. Park, J.M. Samet, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Miscarriage and Maternal Exposure to Tobacco Smoke During Pregnancy. Am. J. Epidemiol. 179, 807–823 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwt334

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. M. Sugiura-Ogasawara, Y. Ozaki, S. Sonta, T. Makino, K. Suzumori, Exposure to bisphenol A is associated with recurrent miscarriage. Hum. Reprod. 20, 2325–2329 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deh888

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. R.B. Lathi, C.A. Liebert, K.F. Brookfield, J.A. Taylor, F.S. vom Saal, V.Y. Fujimoto, V.L. Baker, Conjugated bisphenol A in maternal serum in relation to miscarriage risk. Fertil. Steril. 102, 123–128 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.03.024

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. D. Caserta, A. Mantovani, R. Marci, A. Fazi, F. Ciardo, C. La Rocca, F. Maranghi, M. Moscarini, Environment and women’s reproductive health. Hum. Reprod. Update. 17, 418–433 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmq061

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. S. Ha, D. Liu, Y. Zhu, S. Soo Kim, S. Sherman, K.L. Grantz, P. Mendola. Ambient Temperature and Stillbirth: A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study. Environ Health Perspect. 125, (2017). https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP945.

  24. D. Aune, O.D. Saugstad, T. Henriksen, S. Tonstad, Maternal Body Mass Index and the Risk of Fetal Death, Stillbirth, and Infant Death: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA 311, 1536–1546 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.2269

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. R.M. Srinivasjois, S. Shah, P.S. Shah, Biracial couples and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Acta Obstetricia et. Gynecologica Scandinavica. 91, 1134–1146 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0412.2012.01501.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. S.A. Lorch, E. Enlow, The role of social determinants in explaining racial/ethnic disparities in perinatal outcomes. Pediatr. Res. 79, 141–147 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2015.199

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Y. Yu, A. Yang, J. Zhang, S. Hu, Maternal exposure to the mixture of organophosphorus pesticides induces reproductive dysfunction in the offspring. Environ. Toxicol. 28, 507–515 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20741

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. W. Bai, Y. Li, Y. Niu, Y. Ding, X. Yu, B. Zhu, R. Duan, H. Duan, C. Kou, Y. Li, Z. Sun, Association between ambient air pollution and pregnancy complications: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Environ. Res. 185, 109471 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109471

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. F. Amati, S. Hassounah, A. Swaka, The Impact of Mediterranean Dietary Patterns During Pregnancy on Maternal and Offspring Health. Nutrients 11, 1098 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051098

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. G. Valsamakis, E.L. Kyriazi, Z. Mouslech, C. Siristatidis, G. Mastorakos, Effect of maternal obesity on pregnancy outcomes and long-term metabolic consequences. Hormones 14, 345–357 (2015). https://doi.org/10.14310/horm.2002.1590

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. R.M. Shaffer, K.K. Ferguson, L. Sheppard, T. James-Todd, S. Butts, S. Chandrasekaran, S.H. Swan, E.S. Barrett, R. Nguyen, N. Bush, T.F. McElrath, S. Sathyanarayana, Maternal urinary phthalate metabolites in relation to gestational diabetes and glucose intolerance during pregnancy. Environ. Int. 123, 588–596 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.12.021

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. G.D. Shapiro, L. Dodds, T.E. Arbuckle, J. Ashley-Martin, W. Fraser, M. Fisher, S. Taback, E. Keely, M.F. Bouchard, P. Monnier, R. Dallaire, A.S. Morisset, A.S. Ettinger, Exposure to phthalates, bisphenol A and metals in pregnancy and the association with impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes mellitus: The MIREC study. Environ. Int. 83, 63–71 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2015.05.016

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. A.J. Beltran, J. Wu, O. Laurent, Associations of Meteorology with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Preeclampsia, Preterm Birth and Birth Weight. Int. J. Environ. Res. Pub. Health. 11, 91–172 (2014). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110100091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. F. Leclerc, M.-F. Dubois, A. Aris, Maternal, placental and fetal exposure to bisphenol A in women with and without preeclampsia. Hypertension Pregnancy. 33, 341–348 (2014). https://doi.org/10.3109/10641955.2014.892607

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. X. Ye, W. Pan, Y. Zhao, S. Zhao, Y. Zhu, W. Liu, J. Liu, Association of pyrethroids exposure with onset of puberty in Chinese girls. Environ. Pollut. 227, 606–612 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.04.035

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. E. Cantonwine David, D. Meeker John, K. Ferguson Kelly, B. Mukherjee, R. Hauser, T.F. McElrath, Urinary Concentrations of Bisphenol A and Phthalate Metabolites Measured during Pregnancy and Risk of Preeclampsia. Environ. Health Perspect. 124, 1651–1655 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP188

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. E.F. Werner, J.M. Braun, K. Yolton, J.C. Khoury, B.P. Lanphear, The association between maternal urinary phthalate concentrations and blood pressure in pregnancy: The HOME Study. Environ. Health. 14, 75 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-015-0062-3

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. X. Han, J. Li, Y. Wang, S. Xu, Y. Li, H. Liu, Y. Zhou, H. Zhao, J. Fang, Z. Cai, W. Xia, Association between phthalate exposure and blood pressure during pregnancy. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 189, 109944 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109944

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. A. El-Badry, M. Rezk, H. El-Sayed, Mercury-induced Oxidative Stress May Adversely Affect Pregnancy Outcome among Dental Staff: A Cohort Study. Int J. Occup. Environ. Med. (IJOEM) 9, 113–1189 (2018). https://doi.org/10.15171/ijoem.2018.1181

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. M. Vigeh, K. Yokoyama, F. Ramezanzadeh, M. Dahaghin, T. Sakai, Y. Morita, F. Kitamura, H. Sato, Y. Kobayashi, Lead and other trace metals in preeclampsia: A case–control study in Tehran, Iran. Environ. Res. 100, 268–275 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2005.05.005

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. E.M. Rosen, M.I. Muñoz, T. McElrath, D.E. Cantonwine, K.K. Ferguson, Environmental contaminants and preeclampsia: A systematic literature review. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health B Crit. Rev. 21, 291–319 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/10937404.2018.1554515

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. L.G. Kahn, L. Trasande, Environmental Toxicant Exposure and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: Recent Findings. Curr. Hypertens. Rep. 20, 87 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-018-0888-5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  43. A.E. Poropat, M.A.S. Laidlaw, B. Lanphear, A. Ball, H.W. Mielke, Blood lead and preeclampsia: A meta-analysis and review of implications. Environ. Res. 160, 12–19 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2017.09.014

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. R.M. Toichuev, L.V. Zhilova, T.R. Paizildaev, M.S. Khametova, A. Rakhmatillaev, K.S. Sakibaev, Z.A. Madykova, A.U. Toichueva, M. Schlumpf, R. Weber, W. Lichtensteiger, Organochlorine pesticides in placenta in Kyrgyzstan and the effect on pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn health. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 25, 31885–31894 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0962-6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. M.M. Smarr, K.L. Grantz, C. Zhang, R. Sundaram, J.M. Maisog, D.B. Barr, G.M.B. Louis, Persistent organic pollutants and pregnancy complications. Sci. Total Environ. 551–552, 285–291 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.030

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. J. Murray, B. Eskenazi, R. Bornman, F.W. Gaspar, M. Crause, M. Obida, J. Chevrier, Exposure to DDT and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among South African women from an indoor residual spraying region: The VHEMBE study. Environ. Res. 162, 49–54 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2017.12.006

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. S. Sun, K.R. Weinberger, K.R. Spangler, M.N. Eliot, J.M. Braun, G.A. Wellenius, Ambient temperature and preterm birth: A retrospective study of 32 million US singleton births. Environ. Int. 126, 7–13 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.023

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  48. T. Guo, Y. Wang, H. Zhang, Y. Zhang, J. Zhao, Y. Wang, X. Xie, L. Wang, Q. Zhang, D. Liu, Y. He, Y. Yang, J. Xu, Z. Peng, X. Ma, The association between ambient temperature and the risk of preterm birth in China. Sci. Total Environ. 613–614, 439–446 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.104

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. S.J. Lee, S. Hajat, P.J. Steer, V. Filippi, A time-series analysis of any short-term effects of meteorological and air pollution factors on preterm births in London, UK. Environ. Res. 106, 185–194 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2007.10.003

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. J.-R. He, Y. Liu, X.-Y. Xia, W.-J. Ma, H.-L. Lin, H.-D. Kan, J.-H. Lu, Q. Feng, W.-J. Mo, P. Wang, H.-M. Xia, X. Qiu, L.J. Muglia,, Ambient Temperature and the Risk of Preterm Birth in Guangzhou, China (2001-2011). Environ Health Perspect. 124, 1100–1106 (2016)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. P. Dadvand, X. Basagaña, C. Sartini, F. Figueras, M. Vrijheid, A. de Nazelle, J. Sunyer, M.J. Nieuwenhuijsen, Climate Extremes and the Length of Gestation. Environ. Health Perspect. 119, 1449–1453 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1003241

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  52. C. Liu, J. Sun, Y. Liu, H. Liang, M. Wang, C. Wang, T. Shi, Different exposure levels of fine particulate matter and preterm birth: a meta-analysis based on cohort studies. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res Int. 24, 17976–17984 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9363-0

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. R.F. Goldstein, S.K. Abell, S. Ranasinha, M. Misso, J.A. Boyle, M.H. Black, N. Li, G. Hu, F. Corrado, L. Rode, Y.J. Kim, M. Haugen, W.O. Song, M.H. Kim, A. Bogaerts, R. Devlieger, J.H. Chung, H.J. Teede, Association of Gestational Weight Gain With Maternal and Infant Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA 317, 2207–2225 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.3635

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  54. B. Liu, G. Xu, Y. Sun, Y. Du, R. Gao, L.G. Snetselaar, M.K. Santillan, W. Bao, Association between maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and preterm birth according to maternal age and race or ethnicity: a population-based study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 7, 707–714 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(19)30193-7

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  55. C. Trumpff, G. Sturm, M. Picard, S. Foss, S. Lee, T. Feng, A. Cardenas, C. McCormack, F.A. Champagne, C. Monk, Added sugar intake during pregnancy: Fetal behavior, birth outcomes, and placental DNA methylation. Developmental Psychobiol. 63, 878–889 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22088

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. M.G. Porpora, I. Piacenti, S. Scaramuzzino, L. Masciullo, F. Rech, P. Benedetti Panici, Environmental Contaminants Exposure and Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review. Toxics 7, 11 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7010011

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  57. R.J. Baer, C.D. Chambers, K.K. Ryckman, S.P. Oltman, L. Rand, L.L. Jelliffe-Pawlowski, Risk of preterm and early term birth by maternal drug use. J. Perinatol. 39, 286–294 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0299-0

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. A.D. Salow, L.R. Pool, W.A. Grobman, K.N. Kershaw, Associations of neighborhood-level racial residential segregation with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 218, 351.e1–351.e7 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2018.01.022

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. K.A. de Oliveira, E.M. de Araújo, K.A. de Oliveira, C.A. Casotti, C.A.L. da Silva, D.B. dos Santos. Association between race/skin color and premature birth: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Rev Saude Publica. 52, (2018). https://doi.org/10.11606/S1518-8787.2018052000406

  60. D.E. Cantonwine, K.K. Ferguson, B. Mukherjee, T.F. McElrath, J.D. Meeker, Urinary Bisphenol A Levels during Pregnancy and Risk of Preterm Birth. Environ. Health Perspect. 123, 895–901 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408126

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  61. A. Broe, A. Pottegård, J. Hallas, T.P. Ahern, R.F. Lamont, P. Damkier, Phthalate exposure from drugs during pregnancy and possible risk of preterm birth and small for gestational age. Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol. 240, 293–299 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2019.07.023

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. G. Latini, C. De Felice, G. Presta, A. Del Vecchio, I. Paris, F. Ruggieri, P. Mazzeo, In utero exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and duration of human pregnancy. Environ. Health Perspect. 111, 1783–1785 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.6202

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  63. S. Rattan, C. Zhou, C. Chiang, S. Mahalingam, E. Brehm, J.A. Flaws, Exposure to endocrine disruptors during adulthood: Consequences for female fertility. J. Endocrinol. 233, R109–R129 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1530/JOE-17-0023

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  64. L.A. Geer, B.F.G. Pycke, J. Waxenbaum, D.M. Sherer, O. Abulafia, R.U. Halden, Association of birth outcomes with fetal exposure to parabens, triclosan and triclocarban in an immigrant population in Brooklyn, New York. J. Hazard. Mater. 323, 177–183 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.028

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Z. Deji, P. Liu, X. Wang, X. Zhang, Y. Luo, Z. Huang, Association between maternal exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci. Total Environ. 783, 146984 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146984

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. K.H. Al-Gubory, P.A. Fowler, C. Garrel, The roles of cellular reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress and antioxidants in pregnancy outcomes. Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol. 42, 1634–1650 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocel.2010.06.001

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. B. Wang, J.-J. Liu, Y. Wang, L. Fu, R. Shen, Z. Yu, H. Wang, Y.-H. Chen, C. Zhang, X.-H. Meng, D.-X. Xu, Maternal Fenvalerate Exposure Induces Fetal Intrauterine Growth Restriction Through Disrupting Placental Thyroid Hormone Receptor Signaling. Toxicol. Sci. 157, 377–386 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfx052

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. P.E. Clayton, S. Cianfarani, P. Czernichow, G. Johannsson, R. Rapaport, A. Rogol, Management of the Child Born Small for Gestational Age through to Adulthood: A Consensus Statement of the International Societies of Pediatric Endocrinology and the Growth Hormone Research Society. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 92, 804–810 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2006-2017

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. C. Iñiguez, A. Esplugues, J. Sunyer, M. Basterrechea, A. Fernández-Somoano, O. Costa, M. Estarlich, I. Aguilera, A. Lertxundi, A. Tardón, M. Guxens, M. Murcia, M.-J. Lopez-Espinosa, F. Ballester; null null, Prenatal Exposure to NO2 and Ultrasound Measures of Fetal Growth in the Spanish INMA Cohort. Environ. Health Perspect. 124, 235–242 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409423

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. A.A. Amoako, T.M. Nafee, B. Ola. Epigenetic Influences During the Periconception Period and Assisted Reproduction. Στο: Fazeli, A. και Holt, W.V. (επιμ.) Periconception in Physiology and Medicine. σσ. 15–39. Springer International Publishing, Cham (2017)

  71. S.L. Clay, M.J Woodson, R. Kersh. An Exploration of Socio-demographic, Economic, and Environmental Factors in Black/White Disparities in Low Birth Weight Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Res. Health Sci. 21, (2021). https://doi.org/10.34172/jrhs.v0i0.6408

  72. A. Veiga-Lopez, K. Kannan, C. Liao, W. Ye, S.E. Domino, V. Padmanabhan, Gender-Specific Effects on Gestational Length and Birth Weight by Early Pregnancy BPA Exposure. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 100, E1394–E1403 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2015-1724

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  73. C.-Y. Hu, F.-L. Li, X.-G. Hua, W. Jiang, C. Mao, X.-J. Zhang, The association between prenatal bisphenol A exposure and birth weight: a meta-analysis. Reprod. Toxicol. 79, 21–31 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2018.04.013

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. M. Casas, D. Valvi, A. Ballesteros-Gomez, M. Gascon, M.F. Fernández, R. Garcia-Esteban, C. Iñiguez, D. Martínez, M. Murcia, N. Monfort, N. Luque, S. Rubio, R. Ventura, J. Sunyer, M. Vrijheid, Exposure to Bisphenol A and Phthalates during Pregnancy and Ultrasound Measures of Fetal Growth in the INMA-Sabadell Cohort. Environ. Health Perspect. 124, 521–528 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409190

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. J. Fang, H. Liu, H. Zhao, M. Wong, S. Xu, Z. Cai, Association of prenatal exposure to organochlorine pesticides and birth size. Sci. Total Environ. 654, 678–683 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.384

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. J. Chevrier, S. Rauch, M. Crause, M. Obida, F. Gaspar, R. Bornman, B. Eskenazi, Associations of Maternal Exposure to Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and Pyrethroids With Birth Outcomes Among Participants in the Venda Health Examination of Mothers, Babies and Their Environment Residing in an Area Sprayed for Malaria Control. Am. J. Epidemiol. 188, 130–140 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwy143

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. M.-J. Lopez-Espinosa, M. Murcia, C. Iñiguez, E. Vizcaino, O. Costa, A. Fernández-Somoano, M. Basterrechea, A. Lertxundi, M. Guxens, M. Gascon, F. Goñi-Irigoyen, J.O. Grimalt, A. Tardón, F. Ballester, Organochlorine Compounds and Ultrasound Measurements of Fetal Growth in the INMA Cohort (Spain). Environ. Health Perspect. 124, 157–163 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408907

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. E. Papadopoulou, M. Kogevinas, M. Botsivali, M. Pedersen, H. Besselink, M.A. Mendez, S. Fleming, L.J. Hardie, L.E. Knudsen, J. Wright, S. Agramunt, J. Sunyer, B. Granum, K.B. Gutzkow, G. Brunborg, J. Alexander, H.M. Meltzer, A.L. Brantsæter, K. Sarri, L. Chatzi, D.F. Merlo, J.C. Kleinjans, M. Haugen, Maternal diet, prenatal exposure to dioxin-like compounds and birth outcomes in a European prospective mother–child study (NewGeneris). Sci. Total Environ. 484, 121–128 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.03.047

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. A. Wesselink, M. Warner, S. Samuels, A. Parigi, P. Brambilla, P. Mocarelli, B. Eskenazi, Maternal dioxin exposure and pregnancy outcomes over 30 years of follow-up in Seveso. Environ. Int. 63, 143–148 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2013.11.005

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. P. Rossner, N. Tabashidze, M. Dostal, Z. Novakova, I. Chvatalova, M. Spatova, R.J. Sram, Genetic, Biochemical, and Environmental Factors Associated with Pregnancy Outcomes in Newborns from the Czech Republic. Environ. Health Perspect. 119, 265–271 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1002470

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  81. R. Gaillard, B. Durmuş, A. Hofman, J.P. Mackenbach, E.A.P. Steegers, V.W.V. Jaddoe, Risk factors and outcomes of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Obesity 21, 1046–1055 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20088

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  82. H. Kyozuka, K. Fujimori, M. Hosoya, S. Yasumura, T. Yokoyama, A. Sato, K. Hashimoto, The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) in Fukushima Prefecture: Pregnancy Outcome after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Tohoku J. Exp. Med. 246, 27–33 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.246.27

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. K.J. Stothard, P.W.G. Tennant, R. Bell, J. Rankin, Maternal Overweight and Obesity and the Risk of Congenital Anomalies: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA 301, 636–650 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.113

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  84. S. Baldacci, F. Gorini, M. Santoro, A. Pierini, F. Minichilli, F. Bianchi, Environmental and individual exposure and the risk of congenital anomalies: a review of recent epidemiological evidence. Epidemiol. Prev. 42, 1–34 (2018). https://doi.org/10.19191/EP18.3-4.S1.P001.057

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. C. Yu, Y. Wei, X. Tang, B. Liu, L. Shen, C. Long, T. Lin, D. He, S. Wu, G. Wei, Maternal smoking during pregnancy and risk of cryptorchidism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur. J. Pediatr. 178, 287–297 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-018-3293-9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  86. A. Hackshaw, C. Rodeck, S. Boniface, Maternal smoking in pregnancy and birth defects: a systematic review based on 173 687 malformed cases and 11.7 million controls. Hum. Reprod. Update. 17, 589–604 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmr022

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  87. V. Pergialiotis, P. Kotrogianni, E. Christopoulos-Timogiannakis, D. Koutaki, G. Daskalakis, N. Papantoniou, Bisphenol A and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. J. Matern.-Fetal Neonatal Med. 31, 3320–3327 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2017.1368076

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  88. K.L. Bruner-Tran, T. Ding, K.B. Yeoman, A. Archibong, J.A. Arosh, K.G. Osteen, Developmental Exposure of Mice to Dioxin Promotes Transgenerational Testicular Inflammation and an Increased Risk of Preterm Birth in Unexposed Mating Partners. PLOS ONE. 9, e105084 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0105084

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  89. A. Wautier, M. Tournaire, E. Devouche, S. Epelboin, J.-L. Pouly, A. Levadou. Genital tract and reproductive characteristics in daughters of women and men prenatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES). Therapies. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.therap.2019.10.004

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Larissa University Hospital, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece

    Anastasia-Konstantina Sakali & Alexandra Bargiota

  2. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Physical Education and Sport Science and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece

    Maria Papagianni

  3. Endocrine Unit, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Hippokration Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Maria Papagianni

  4. Institute of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Aleksandra Rasic-Markovic

  5. Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Djuro Macut

  6. Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolism, Aretaieion Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    George Mastorakos

Authors
  1. Anastasia-Konstantina Sakali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria Papagianni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alexandra Bargiota
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Aleksandra Rasic-Markovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Djuro Macut
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. George Mastorakos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by [Anastasia-Konstantina SAKALI], [Maria PAPAGIANNI] and [Aleksandra RASIC-MARKOVIC]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [Anastasia-Konstantina SAKALI] and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to George Mastorakos.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sakali, AK., Papagianni, M., Bargiota, A. et al. Environmental factors affecting pregnancy outcomes. Endocrine 80, 459–469 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-023-03307-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-023-03307-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation