{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Organophosphate ester flame retardant chemicals and maternal depression during pregnancy.
{Author}: Hernandez-Castro I;Eckel SP;Howe CG;Aung MT;Kannan K;Robinson M;Foley HB;Yang T;Vigil MJ;Chen X;Grubbs B;Al-Marayati L;Toledo-Corral CM;Habre R;Dunton GF;Farzan SF;Morales S;Breton CV;Bastain TM;
{Journal}: Environ Res
{Volume}: 259
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Oct 15
{Factor}: 8.431
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119581
{Abstract}: <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Depression substantially contributes to pregnancy-related morbidity, and pregnancy is increasingly recognized as a vulnerable window for exposure effects on maternal mental health. Exposures to organophosphate esters (OPEs) are ubiquitous and may have neurotoxic effects; however, their impacts on prenatal depression remain unknown. We evaluated associations of third trimester OPE metabolites on maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>This study included 422 participants in the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) cohort, a prospective pregnancy cohort of primarily low-income and Hispanic participants residing in Los Angeles, California. We measured concentrations of nine OPEs in third trimester spot urine samples (mean gestational age = 31.5 ± 2.0 weeks). Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale, we classified participants as having probable depression during pregnancy (N = 137) or not (N = 285) if one or more CES-D scores administered at each trimester met the suggested cutoff score for clinically significant depressive symptoms (≥16). We estimated associations of prenatal OPE metabolite concentrations in tertiles and risk of prenatal depression using modified Log-Poisson regression. We examined associations of the OPE mixture on depression during pregnancy using Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR).<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Participants with the highest tertiles of DPHP and BDCIPP exposure had a 67% (95% CI: 22%, 128%) and 47% (95% CI: 4%, 108%) increased risk of maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy, respectively. No associations between other OPE metabolites and maternal depression symptoms were observed. In mixture analyses, we observed a positive and linear association between higher exposure to the OPE metabolite mixture and odds of prenatal maternal depression, primarily driven by DPHP.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our findings provide new evidence of associations between frequently detected OPE metabolites on maternal depression symptoms during pregnancy. Results could inform future intervention efforts aimed at reducing perinatal maternal depression.