Prenatal endocrine-disrupting chemicals exposure and impact on offspring neurodevelopment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Considering that endocrine disruptors have certain effects on fetal growth, we conducted a systematic review of epidemiological literature to elucidate the correlation between exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals during pregnancy and the neurodevelopment of offspring.

Method

We systematically explored PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases from inception to April 4, 2023. References from pertinent studies were reviewed, and data regarding the link between maternal prenatal EDC exposure and offspring neurological development were compiled. A domain-based approach was used to evaluate studies of neurodevelopmental effects in children ≤3 years old by two reviewers, including cognition, motor, behavior, language, and non-verbal ability.

Results

A comprehensive search yielded 45,373 articles, from which 48 articles, involving 26,005 mother-child pairs, met the criteria and were subsequently included in our analysis. The results revealed that EDC exposure during pregnancy had a significant impact on offspring neurobehavior development, especially in cognition, motor, and language. Our findings indicated adverse associations between prenatal exposure to metals and offspring cognition (before 12 months: β coefficient: −0.28; 95 % CI, −0.50 to −0.06; 1–3 years old: β coefficient: −0.55; 95 % CI: −1.08 to −0.02). Furthermore, metals (β coefficient: −0.71; 95 % CI: −1.23 to −0.19) and phthalates (β coefficient: −0.69; 95 % CI: −1.05 to −0.33) exposure exhibited detrimental effects on motor development from1–3 years old, while poly-fluoroalkyl substances were linked to the disruption of offspring language development (β coefficient: −1.01; 95 % CI: −1.90 to −0.11) within this timeframe. Additionally, exposure to EDCs during pregnancy had a negative impact on cognition development among girls from 12 to 36 months of age (β coefficient: −0.53; 95 % CI: −1.01 to −0.06).

Conclusion

Prenatal exposure to EDCs, especially metals, phthalates and, poly-fluoroalkyl substances, was associated with disrupting the development of offspring neurobehavior in the short and long term. Additionally, cognitive development showed gender differences due to prenatal endocrine-disrupting chemicals exposure.