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ASSESSING MATERNAL AND FETAL EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS
Impact/Purpose:
The ubiquitous exposure to environmental contaminants in the US population, combined with the accumulating evidence of immediate and latent harm caused by in utero exposures, increases the need to better understand exposure to chemicals during key stages of development. For most environmental chemicals, studies that examine exposure prior to birth are scarce. Meanwhile, questions about the degree to which chemicals cross the placenta, accumulate in the fetus and are metabolized remain unanswered. There is a critical need for studies that are designed specifically to answer these questions. In this project we will gather data on chemical exposures during pregnancy, when certain aspects of development are particularly vulnerable to disruption. We will also explore the feasibility and accuracy of using maternal biological monitoring results to predict in utero exposure.
Description:
This data will fill key gaps in our understanding of exposure before birth and capacity to detoxify Bisphenol A (BPA) and could inform and strengthen future studies of the effects of BPA and other environmental chemicals on development.