Official Logo for Legacy of our Veterans’ Military Exposures (LOVME)
The study showed that two molecules — mono-n-butyl and monobenzyl phthalate — which are produced when phthalates are ingested, were significantly associated with lower levels of hCG hormone in women carrying male babies.
A University of Pittsburgh abstract, presented today at the Endocrine Society’s 97th annual meeting in San Diego, explains how the placenta early in pregnancy responds to phthalate exposure by altering the hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone, leading to a shorter distance at birth between the anus and genitalia, most notable in male babies.
The research based at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, however, found that blood tests to detect hormone levels during the first trimester of pregnancy may provide “the opportunity to identify abnormal development, intervene and improve the health of the child.”
