Does prenatal exposure to multiple airborne and tap-water pollutants increase neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations? Data from the Picardy region, France.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Systematic screening for congenital hypothyroidism by heel-stick sampling has revealed unexpected heterogeneity in the geographic distribution of newborn thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations in Picardy, France. We explored a possible relationship with environmental pollutants. METHODS: Zip code geolocation data from mothers of newborns without congenital hypothyroidism born in 2021 were linked to ecological data for a set of airborne (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 µm or less [PM2.5] or 10 µm or less [PM10]) and tap-water (nitrate and perchlorate ions and atrazine) pollutants. Statistical associations between mean exposure levels during the third trimester of pregnancy and Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations in 6249 newborns (51 % male) were investigated using linear regression models. RESULTS: Median neonatal TSH concentration (interquartile range, IQR) was 1.7 (1-2.8) mIU/L. An increase of one IQR in prenatal exposure to perchlorate ions (3.6 µg/L), nitrate ions (19.2 mg/L), PM2.5 (3.7 µg/m3) and PM10 (3.4 µg/m3), were associated with increases in TSH concentrations of 2.30 % (95 % CI 0.95-3.66), 5.84 % (95 % CI 2.81-8.87), 13.44 % (95 % CI 9.65-17.28) and 6.26 % (95 % CI 3.01-9.56), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to perchlorate and nitrate ions in tap water and to airborne PM over the third trimester of pregnancy was significantly associated with increased neonatal TSH concentrations.