The ATHLETE research project in collaboration with the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) organised a webinar where Dr. Kelly Ferguson (NIEHS) presented her work on prenatal exposure to nonpersistent chemical mixtures and fetal growth.
Click here to download the presentation slides
Pregnant women are ubiquitously exposed to a plethora of nonpersistent chemicals found in commonly used consumer products and via their diet, such as phthalates, bisphenols and organophosphate pesticides.
Scientific research shows that all these chemicals are able to cross the placental and blood–brain barriers and have the potential to cause permanent developmental changes to the fetus, and are thus a growing public health concern. What’s more, because these chemicals are nonpersistent, their contribution to adverse health effects may be preventable via interventions in a relatively short period of time.
During the webinar, Dr. Ferguson discussed recent research findings into how prenatal exposure to a mixture of phthalates, bisphenols and organophosphate pesticides can influence fetal growth in early pregnancy and later affect birth weight. Joint exposure to nonpersistent chemicals may adversely impact fetal growth, and because these exposures are widespread, this impact could be substantial.
The webinar was moderated by Genon K. Jensen, Executive Director at HEAL.
