Main Researcher: Katharina M. Main
Other Researchers: Hanne Frederiksen, Niels E. Skakkebæk, Professor Roger Hart and colleagues (Australia)
Objective: To evaluate whether exposure of pregnant women to phthalates adversely affects male reproductive health in their sons 20 years later
Description: Male members (913) of the Western Australian (Raine) Pregnancy Cohort 1989-1991 were contacted at 20-22 years of age. 423 (56%) agreed to participate; 404 underwent testicular ultrasound examination; 365 provided a semen sample, and reproductive hormones were measured in 384. Maternal antenatal serum phthalate metabolite measurements were available for 185 and 111 men, who provided serum and semen respectively. Maternal serum collected at 18 and 34 weeks gestation, stored at -80oC, was pooled and analyzed for 32 phthalate metabolites by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. TV was calculated, semen analysis performed by WHO approved methods, and adult serum concentrations of gonadotrophins, inhibin B and testosterone measured.
Outcome: prenatal phthalate exposure, semen quality, sex hormones, testis size.
Publications: in progress.