Relationship between prenatal and postnatal exposure to BPA and its analogues (BPS, BPF) and allergic diseases.

Bisphenols, endocrine disrupting chemicals, are widely used in daily life. Continued exposure during key developmental periods of life (pregnancy, infancy and early childhood) can contribute to adverse health consequences such as decreased lung function, wheezing/asthma, the occurrence of allergies or changes in immune system responses. The purpose of this review is to present the current state of knowledge on the effects of prenatal or postnatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF) on the development of allergic diseases in childhood. A com- prehensive and systematic search of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases was conducted. The review is restricted to studies published since 2015, in English in peer-reviewed journals. Based on keywords, 2648 studies were identified and reviewed for eligibility. Finally, 8 epidemio- logical studies were found to be appropriate for inclusion in this publication. The data collected in this review suggests that there is an associa- tion between maternal exposure during pregnancy or childhood to BPA and the development of allergic diseases. Most studies reported positive relationships between BPA exposure and at least one of the types of allergic disease. The paucity of studies and the observed differences in findings regarding the association between prenatal/postnatal exposure to BPS and/or BPF do not allow firm conclusions to be drawn. Further research is needed to identify the vulnerable population and the mechanisms responsible for the development of undesirable health consequences. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(5):575-86.

REPRO_PL-Polish Mother and Child Cohort-Exposure, Health Status, and Neurobehavioral Assessments in Adolescents-Design and Cohort Update.

Early life is a crucial window of opportunity to improve health across the life course. The prospective cohort study design is the most adequate to evaluate the longitudinal effects of exposure, the notification of changes in the exposure level and evaluation of the simultaneous impact of various exposures, as well as the assessment of several health effects and trajectories throughout childhood and adolescence. This paper provides an overview of the Polish Mother and Child cohort (REPRO_PL), with particular emphasis on Phase IV of this study. REPRO_PL is conducted in central Europe, where such longitudinal studies are less frequently implemented. In this population-based prospective cohort, which was established in 2007, three phases covering pregnancy (I), early childhood (II), and early school age (III) periods have already been completed. Phase IV gives a uniform opportunity to follow-up children during adolescence in order to evaluate if the consequences of prenatal and early postnatal exposures still persist at the age of 14. Moreover, we will be able to investigate the associations between simultaneous exposures to a broad spectrum of environmental factors, adolescents' health and neurobehavioral outcomes, and their trajectories within life, which is a novel framework of high scientific, public health and clinical priority.

The association between imbalances in vaginal microflora and duration of pregnancy as well as selected maternal and neonatal parameters.

OBJECTIVES: Abnormal vaginal flora (AVF) is a result of excessive growth of some aerobic bacteria and fungi in relation to the scarce presence of Lactobacillus spp. It has been suggested that AVF is responsible for preterm birth and such neonatal conditions as infections or sepsis. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of excessive vaginal colonization with aerobic bacteria and fungi on the selected postnatal parameters of newborns, duration of pregnancy and length of hospitalisation of neonates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective data of all 1057 patients who delivered between 01.2019 and 06.2019 in the Department of Perinatology of Medical University of Lodz was analyzed. Eight hundred nine patients were included in this retrospective study. The study group consisted of 396 patients with abundant growth of aerobic bacteria and fungi obtained between 26 and 42 weeks of gestation, while 413 patients with physiologic vaginal biocenosis constituted the control group. Two hundred forty-eight patients (23.46%) were excluded from the study due to incomplete data. RESULTS: Patients with abnormal vaginal flora (AVF) gave birth prematurely (9.09%) more often than patients with balanced microflora (5.31%), p = 0.038. Newborns of mothers with AVF obtained an Apgar score under four more frequently (1.21% vs 0%; p = 0.024). Eutrophic neonates were born less frequently in the study group (82.08% vs 88.65%; p = 0.025). Hospitalisation period was longer for children of mothers with AVF (mean of 6.30 ± 9.87 days) than those of mothers from the control group (mean of 5.06 ± 5.30), p = 0.025. Newborns of mothers with AVF developed perinatal infections more often (23.97% vs 15.94%; p = 0.004). Four infants died in the study group whereas no deaths were recorded in the control group (p = 0.045). The most prevalent pathogens were: Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) 57.32%, Candida spp. 39.64%, Klebsiella spp. 9.85%, Staphylococcus aureus 7.32%. Signs of infection were more frequently recorded in newborns of mothers infected with Klebsiella spp. (35.90% vs 19.16%; p = 0.011). Premature birth was more prevalent in GBS carriers (11.81% vs 6.28%; p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Abundant growth of aerobic bacteria in the 3rd trimester of gestation contributes to preterm birth, causes the development of infection signs in newborns, increases their mortality rate and prolongs hospitalisation period.