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Heightened Susceptibility: A Review of How Pregnancy and Chemical Exposures Influence Maternal Health

Varvashky et al.

2023

Reprod Toxicol

A review of epidemiologic literature examining environmental chemical exposures during pregnancy and three maternal health outcomes (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and breast cancer) found that pregnancy represents a unique critical period when biological changes can heighten women’s susceptibility to chemicals from air, food, water, and consumer products—including flame retardants, plasticizers, pesticides, and lead—though research has disproportionately focused on fetal outcomes rather than maternal health risks, which remain poorly characterized for most chemicals. While evidence shows that lead exposure increases risk of pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders and pregnancy can amplify women’s vulnerability to environmental chemicals, variations in study design, exposure assessment methods, and inconsistent adjustment for confounders limited comparability across studies. The authors emphasize that future research must recognize pregnancy as a critical window for women’s lifelong health, calling for incorporation of biomarkers of exposure and effect, deliberate timing and methods of measurement, and consistent confounder adjustment to strengthen understanding of the pregnancy exposome and its impacts on maternal health outcomes beyond the immediate postpartum period.

Molecular consequences of the exposure to toxic substances for the endocrine system of females.

Kowalczyk et al,

2022

Biomed Pharmacother

A review of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)—ubiquitous substances found in cosmetics, plastic food packaging, and medicines that enter the body through skin, digestive, or respiratory routes—examined their toxic effects even at microgram doses on the female reproductive system and genetic mechanisms. EDCs disrupt endocrine functions by binding to steroid hormone receptors, interfering with hormone synthesis and secretion, and modulating epigenetic processes that can lead to gene expression disturbances, contributing to neoplastic diseases, neurological disorders, circulatory problems, and reproductive dysfunction. Prenatal exposure can affect offspring development, with particular impacts on ovarian function leading to reduced fertility through disturbances in steroid receptor function, steroidogenesis, and gametogenesis. The review emphasizes that despite widespread exposure to these chemicals in everyday products, continued research is needed to fully understand their effects on the female reproductive system and potential transgenerational impacts mediated through epigenetic mechanisms.

How the Intensity of Night Shift Work Affects Breast Cancer Risk.

Szkiela et al,

2021

Int J Environ Res Pubilc Health

A case-control study of 494 breast cancer cases and 515 healthy controls in Poland’s Lodz region (2015-2019) found that night shift work was the third most important breast cancer risk factor after high BMI and short/no breastfeeding, ranking before early menstruation, late menopause, nulliparity, and smoking. Night work increased breast cancer risk 2.34-fold, with high-intensity night work showing an even greater 2.66-fold increase, and the harmful effects were influenced by intensity, frequency, rotation patterns, and cumulative years of night shift exposure. The findings support the IARC’s 2019 classification of night shift work as probably carcinogenic (Group 2A) and emphasize the need for ergonomic recommendations to minimize breast cancer risk among night shift workers through optimized scheduling practices.

Adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Recommendations and Breast Cancer in the SUN Project.

Barrios-Rodríguez et al,

2020

Nutrients

A prospective cohort study of 10,930 Spanish female university graduates in the SUN (“Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra”) project examined whether adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) cancer prevention recommendations was associated with breast cancer risk. The study used an 8-item score measuring compliance with recommendations including body fat, physical activity, consumption of wholegrains/vegetables/fruit/beans, avoidance of fast foods and processed meats, limited sugar-sweetened drinks and alcohol, and breastfeeding. While no significant association was found for overall breast cancer risk, women who scored highest on adherence (>5 points vs. ≤3 points) had a 73% reduced risk of postmenopausal breast cancer after adjusting for other variables. The findings suggest that following multiple WCRF/AICR lifestyle and nutritional recommendations together may significantly reduce postmenopausal breast cancer risk through their combined protective effects.

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