Milken Institute School of Public Health Poster Presentations (Marvin Center & Video)
Poster Number
35
Document Type
Poster
Keywords
PBDEs; PBDE; Thyroid; Pregnant
Publication Date
3-2016
Abstract
PBDEs (Polybrominated diphenyl ethers) are chemicals introduced by industry in the 1970s to serve as flame-retardants on common consumer products like electronics, plastics, and foam in furniture. They are also suspected to disrupt thyroid activity during pregnancy, which is a time of increased demand on the thyroid gland. Maternal thyroid fluctuations and disease as a result of exposure to PBDEs are therefore a concern. This systematic review aimed to capture all of the relevant peer-reviewed literature investigating the association between PBDEs and maternal thyroid activity. Use of the PRISMA checklist (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), a best practice standard for conducting systematic reviews, guided the search. Twelve relevant studies resulted from searching the online medical databases PubMed, Scopus, and Clinical Key with the terms ‘PBDE’, ‘pregnant’, and ‘thyroid’. Studies’ results varied on whether PBDE exposure increased or decreased thyroid activity, but nine of the twelve studies reported significant associations between PBDE exposure during pregnancy and thyroid activity, especially with two PBDEs: BDE 47 and BDE 99. While it is unclear which PBDEs have a negative or positive association with thyroid activity and more research is needed, many PBDEs are significantly associated with thyroid activity so caution is warranted, especially around BDE 47 and BDE 99. With this information, policymakers could push to ban BDE 47 and BDE 99, ban them only if other PBDEs can be safely substituted, or push for more research. Additional research could elucidate which PBDEs are associated with increased or decreased thyroid activity and at what levels they adversely affect thyroid health. Regardless of how policymakers and industry move forward, an interim awareness campaign for pregnant women may help protect them from thyroid health consequences.
Creative Commons License
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Open Access
1
Pregnant Women’s Health Consequences following exposure to PBDEs
PBDEs (Polybrominated diphenyl ethers) are chemicals introduced by industry in the 1970s to serve as flame-retardants on common consumer products like electronics, plastics, and foam in furniture. They are also suspected to disrupt thyroid activity during pregnancy, which is a time of increased demand on the thyroid gland. Maternal thyroid fluctuations and disease as a result of exposure to PBDEs are therefore a concern. This systematic review aimed to capture all of the relevant peer-reviewed literature investigating the association between PBDEs and maternal thyroid activity. Use of the PRISMA checklist (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), a best practice standard for conducting systematic reviews, guided the search. Twelve relevant studies resulted from searching the online medical databases PubMed, Scopus, and Clinical Key with the terms ‘PBDE’, ‘pregnant’, and ‘thyroid’. Studies’ results varied on whether PBDE exposure increased or decreased thyroid activity, but nine of the twelve studies reported significant associations between PBDE exposure during pregnancy and thyroid activity, especially with two PBDEs: BDE 47 and BDE 99. While it is unclear which PBDEs have a negative or positive association with thyroid activity and more research is needed, many PBDEs are significantly associated with thyroid activity so caution is warranted, especially around BDE 47 and BDE 99. With this information, policymakers could push to ban BDE 47 and BDE 99, ban them only if other PBDEs can be safely substituted, or push for more research. Additional research could elucidate which PBDEs are associated with increased or decreased thyroid activity and at what levels they adversely affect thyroid health. Regardless of how policymakers and industry move forward, an interim awareness campaign for pregnant women may help protect them from thyroid health consequences.
Comments
Presented at: GW Research Days 2016