Reacción a "Prenatal exposure to a mixture of endocrine disruptors is associated with poorer metabolic health in childhood"

This study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and published in Jama Network Open stands out for its robustness, supported by a large sample of 1,134 mothers and children from six European countries, and a comprehensive analysis of prenatal exposure to 45 endocrine disruptors. The findings are based on detailed data from biological samples and clinical follow-up of children aged 6-11 years, which strengthens the validity of the results.

This study contributes to the field by exploring the combined impact of various endocrine disruptors on metabolic health, revealing that prenatal exposure to a mixture of these compounds is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in childhood, with prominent differences by compound and sex. In contrast to previous studies, this work has been able to consider dietary and lifestyle differences at the European level and expands the number of endocrine disruptors analysed, as well as addressing mixtures, reflecting more accurately the reality of exposure to multiple chemicals. However, as a limitation, the difficulty in establishing a definitive causal relationship is acknowledged due to the observational nature of the study and the influence of other environmental and genetic factors.

In practical terms, these findings underscore the importance of reducing exposure to endocrine disruptors during pregnancy and the need to provide standardised information for their mitigation. Currently, while pregnant women are often advised to avoid foods, such as unpasteurised cheese or raw foods, to minimise the risk of microbiological contamination, there is a general lack of awareness of exposure to endocrine disruptors, such as BPA in canned foods or parabens used as preservatives in personal care and hygiene products. However, the responsibility should not be placed solely on the population; it is essential that stricter public health policies and regulations are implemented to safeguard the metabolic health of future generations.