Normal maternal thyroid hormone levels are essential for normal fetal growth and brain development. Pregnant women with higher blood levels of a common flame retardant had altered thyroid hormone levels, a result that could have implications for fetal health, according to a new study.
The new study is the second study to come out this year from Brenda Eskenazi’s research group linking PBDEs to human health effects. Eskenazi, UC Berkeley professor of epidemiology and of maternal and child health was the principal investigator on the earlier study that found that women with higher exposures to flame retardants took longer to get pregnant.
The study found that odds of hyperthyroidism were increased near twice for each tenfold increase in PBDE concentrations.
PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are a class of organobromine compounds found in common household items such as carpets, textiles, foam furnishings, electronics and plastics. U.S. fire safety standards implemented in the 1970s led to increased use of PBDEs, which can leach out into the environment and accumulate in human fat cells.
[Source]
Chapter: Pregnancy :: 9 September 2010
