Exposure to endocrine disruptors during pregnancy can have detrimental consequences on maternal and child health, sometimes even several years after birth, concludes a meta-analysis conducted by researchers from Quebec and Ontario. .
Researchers from the National Institute for Scientific Research (INRS), TELUQ University and Queen’s University have become interested in substances that affect the reproductive system, metabolism and development of the mammary glands before, during and after pregnancy.
We went to see in the literature what we knew about the effects of exposure to endocrine disruptors at this particular stage of the life of the woman and her baby.explained the study’s lead author, Pre Isabelle Plante, who is an environmental toxicology researcher at INRS and co-director of the Intersectoral Center for the Analysis of Endocrine Disruptors.
Endocrine disrupters, as their name implies, interfere with the endocrine system, a network of glands that interact with each other by secreting hormones also known as estrogen and progesterone. They can mimic the effect of these hormones and therefore interfere with the normal functioning of the organs.
For example, researchers have discovered that the placenta, despite its defense barriers, can be disrupted by endocrine disruptors, which can eventually result in serious health problems such as diabetes or obesity.
When you think about pregnancy and development, the endocrine system plays an important role in the development of a normal pregnancy.said Ms. Plante. So if we play the efficient orchestration of these hormones by exposure to endocrine disruptor, we can have effects that are quite large both at the maternal level and at the child level.
Maternal exposure to these substances can affect the development of the mammary glands of unborn babies, increasing the risk of breast cancer later in life. In men, endocrine disruptors may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
The pregnancy, Ms. Plante, is a basic programming steps during which many programssome may not be available for several years.
This is the case with the development of breasts in girls, which occurs only during puberty.
All the mechanisms to make this organ later in life are put in place during fetal life.he explained. So if we mess up this programming, the effects can be felt later in life.
Endocrine disrupters are chemicals found in many everyday products, from cosmetics to plastic containers, furniture and toys. Exposure, however, is mainly through food and drinking water.
Endocrine disruptors are so numerous that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to prevent them entirely. The best we can do is reduce our exposure, for example by choosing cosmetics that are paraben -free, which are added to fight bacteria and mold, but are easily absorbed by the skin.
Phthalates and triclosan are two other endocrine disruptors that are widely used and easily absorbed by the body. Both substances are associated with reduced placental abruption during pregnancy.
Although women generally know that endocrine disruptors can be dangerous for them and for their babies, many of them do not know where they are located, complicating the task of those who want to reduce their exposure.
For example, they may stop wearing makeup during their pregnancy, but continue to apply body lotion or dye their hair.
The idea here is not to ban everything and be crazy too.end of Ms. Plante. The idea is to try to understand that there are some products where there are endocrine disruptors, and if we can avoid them or limit whether we will make a conscious choice to use them or not to use them, well that that. way of controlling our exposure.
The conclusions of this meta-analysis were published in a special edition of the journal Environmental Research.
Source: Radio-Canada
