The LIFE-MILCH project: preliminary data from the risk assessment model of exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in mother-infant dyads during the first 3 months of life

Introduction: The ongoing LIFE-MILCH project (www.lifemilch.eu), focuses on detecting EDCs in mothers, in breast milk (BM) and in urine, and in infants from birth up to 12 months of age studying relationships with neurodevelopment, growth, distribution of adiposity, pubertal stages, and ano-genital distances, life-style sources (questionnaires) of exposure to establish a risk assessment model to prepare safety guidelines to optimize all benefits related with breastfeeding and preserve future health. Objective: To estimate the risk of exposure to EDCs for infants especially through BM. Methods: The current preliminary risk assessment model regards the data of approximately 200/654 mother-infant dyads, enrolled at 3 sites in Italy. Healthy mothers were enrolled at 36-41 weeks of gestational age, pregnancies were uncomplicated. Urine samples were collected in mothers and infants at enrolment(T0) and at 1(T1), 3(T2) and 6 months(T3) after delivery. BM samples were collected at T1, T2, T3. In all biological samples bisphenol (BP)A, BPS, BPF, phthalates (PHTs) and their metabolites (DBP, BBP, DEHP, MBP, MBzP, MEHP, MEHHP, MEHOP), parabens (PBs) (BuPB, iBuPB), pesticides (glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid, glufosinate) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pyrethroids insecticides, and heavy metals were measured by LC-MS. Results: When BPs were detected in mothers’urine, it was more likely to detect these also in the infants’ urine samples, especially at T0(OR=7.06). Exclusive breastfed infants at T1 and at T2 were 3 and 5 times more likely to have at least one BPs in urine at T1 and T2, respectively. At T0, mothers with detectable PHTs in urine had a higher probability to have children with these molecules in their urines(OR=4.02 for PHTs and 11.5 for PTHs metabolites). At T1, detectable PTH metabolites in BM increased the probability of finding these molecules in the children’s urines (OR=8.95). Overall, if PBs were found in BM there was a 32-fold higher probability of detecting these in the childrens’urine samples at T2. When pesticides were found both in BM and in the urine of mothers, the probability of finding these compounds in the urine of their infants was increased (OR=3.27 for BM at T2). The presence of PAHs in mothers’urine and BM doubled the probability of finding PAHs in the infants’urine at T2. Conclusion: These data confirm exposure related with a shared environment, and the passage of EDCs from mothers to infants besides children exposure. The exposure to these EDCs has to be reduced for the health of our children.