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Cited by 441Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicalsHealth, Environment, Cognitive AgingSexual Differentiation and Disorders

Prenatal phthalate exposure is associated with childhood behavior and executive functioning

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Engel, Stephanie M., Miodovnik, Amir, Canfield, Richard L., Zhu, Chenbo, Silva, Manori J., Calafat, Antonia M., Wolff, Mary S.·2010·Environmental Health Perspectives
DOI 10.1289/ehp.0901470PMC PMC2854736
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Abstract

Background: Experimental and observational studies have reported biological consequences of phthalate exposure relevant to neurodevelopment. Objective: Our goal was to examine the association of prenatal phthalate exposure with behavior and executive functioning at 4–9 years of age. Methods: The Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Study enrolled a multiethnic prenatal population in New York City between 1998 and 2002 (n = 404). Third-trimester maternal urines were collected and analyzed for phthalate metabolites. Children (n = 188, n = 365 visits) were assessed for cognitive and behavioral development between the ages of 4 and 9 years. Results: In multivariate adjusted models, increased loge concentrations of low molecular weight (LMW) phthalate metabolites were associated with poorer scores on the aggression [β = 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.15– 2.34], conduct problems (β = 2.40; 95% CI, 1.34–3.46), attention problems (β = 1.29; 95% CI, 0.16– 2.41), and depression (β = 1.18; 95% CI, 0.11–2.24) clinical scales; and externalizing problems (β = 1.75; 95% CI, 0.61–2.88) and behavioral symptom index (β = 1.55; 95% CI, 0.39–2.71) composite scales. Increased loge concentrations of LMW phthalates were also associated with poorer scores on the global executive composite index (β = 1.23; 95% CI, 0.09–2.36) and the emotional control scale (β = 1.33; 95% CI, 0.18– 2.49). Conclusion: Behavioral domains adversely associated with prenatal exposure to LMW phthalates in our study are commonly found to be affected in children clinically diagnosed with conduct or attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.

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  • Another cohort study reported an association between phthalate exposure and autism-like behaviors in children aged 7-9 years.

    “Another cohort study reported an association between phthalate exposure and autism-like behaviors in children aged 7–9 years (Engel et al., 2010).”

    From Environmental endocrine disruptors at the synapse: mechanisms linking chemical exposure to cognitive and behavioral dysfunction (2026) · cites this paper as Engel et al., 2010

    The Results report associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and childhood behavioral problems, but not autism-like behaviors; the Discussion characterizes the affected domains as related to conduct disorder and ADHD. The Methods (Enrollment of birth cohort and child follow-up) list ages 7–9 as one follow-up period, while the study assessed children across ages 4–9 rather than reporting the claimed association specifically for ages 7–9. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Authors
Engel, S. M., Miodovnik, A., Canfield, R. L., Zhu, C., Silva, M. J., Calafat, A. M., & Wolff, M. S.
Affiliations
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
  • Cornell University (US)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
Corresponding author
Engel, Stephanie M.
ORCID
Venue
Environmental Health Perspectives
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Published
2010-01-28
Volume
118
Issue
4
Pages
565-571
ISSN
  • 0091-6765 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-9924
DOI
10.1289/ehp.0901470
PMC
PMC2854736
OpenAlex
W2002138184
Cited by
441
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 37 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 44 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 27
FWCI
23.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Environmental Health Perspectives (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (R827039)
  • New York Community Trust
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • U.S. Public Health Service (R827039)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (ES09584, P01ES009584)
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (R827039)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (T32HD049311)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
Keywords
prenatal phthalate exposure, low molecular weight phthalates, executive function, child behavior, aggression, conduct problems, attention deficits, depression, externalizing problems, emotional control, brain development, conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
MeSH terms
Child, Child Behavior, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Phthalic Acids, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Prospective Studies

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