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BACKGROUND: Phthalates and their replacements have been implicated as developmental toxicants. Young children may be exposed to phthalates/replacements when using skin care products (SCPs). OBJECTIVES: Our objective is to assess the associations between use of SCPs and children's urinary phthalate/replacement metabolite concentrations. METHODS: Children (4--8 years old) from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes-Fetal Growth Study (ECHO-FGS) cohort provided spot urine samples from 2017 to 2019, and mothers were queried about children's SCP use in the past 24 h (n = 906). Concentrations of 16 urinary phthalate/replacement metabolites were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (n = 630). We used linear regression to estimate the child's use of different SCPs as individual predictors of urinary phthalate/replacement metabolites, adjusted for urinary specific gravity, age, sex assigned at birth, body mass index, and self-reported race/ethnic identity, as well as maternal education, and season of specimen collection. We created self-organizing maps (SOM) to group children into "exposure profiles" that reflect discovered patterns of use for multiple SCPs. RESULTS: Children had lotions applied (43.0%) frequently, but "2-in-1" hair-care products (7.5%), sunscreens (5.9%), and oils (4.3%) infrequently. Use of lotions was associated with 1.17-fold [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.34] greater mono-benzyl phthalate and oils with 2.86-fold (95% CI: 1.89, 4.31) greater monoethyl phthalate (MEP), 1.43-fold (95% CI: 1.09, 1.90) greater monobutyl phthalate (MBP), and 1.40-fold (95% CI: 1.22, 1.61) greater low-molecular-weight phthalates (LMW). Use of 2-in-1 haircare products was associated with 0.84-fold (95% CI: 0.72, 0.97) and 0.78-fold (95% CI: 0.62, 0.98) lesser mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP) and MBP, respectively. Child's race/ethnic identity modified the associations of lotions with LMW, oils with MEP and LMW, sunscreen with MCPP, ointments with MEP, and hair conditioner with MCPP. SOM identified four distinct SCP-use exposure scenarios (i.e., profiles) within our population that predicted 1.09-fold (95% CI: 1.03, 1.15) greater mono-carboxy isononyl phthalate, 1.31-fold (95% CI: 0.98, 1.77) greater mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate, 1.13-fold (95% CI: 0.99, 1.29) greater monoethylhexyl phthalate, and 1.04-fold (95% CI: 1.00, 1.09) greater diethylhexyl phthalate. DISCUSSION: We found that reported SCP use was associated with urinary phthalate/replacement metabolites in young children. These results may inform policymakers, clinicians, and parents to help limit children's exposure to developmental toxicants. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13937, Introduction Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, (1) and children's exposure has been associated with differences in body composition, (2) neurodevelopment, (2-4) and pulmonary and immune function. (5,6) Children are exposedto phthalates [...]

Background: Studies suggest breastfeeding lowers obesity risk in childhood, but generalizability of existing evidence is limited. We examined associations of breastfeeding with childhood overweight, obesity, and percentage body fat, in a racially diverse maternal-child cohort. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 823 children, ages 4-8 years, enrolled in the Environmental Exposures and Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort, a subset of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies cohort. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overweight [BMI (kg/m2) 85th to

Objective Combining pharmacologic agents with mechanical ripening achieves the shortest labor duration, yet there is no clear evidence on route of drug administration in obese individuals. The use of buccal misoprostol has shown greater patient acceptance but remains understudied. Our objective was to evaluate the difference in time to delivery of buccal compared with vaginal misoprostol in combination with a Foley catheter (FC) for induction of labor (IOL) in the obese population. Study Design This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial comparing identical dosages (25 μg) of buccal and vaginal misoprostol in combination with a FC. The parent trial was an institutional review board-approved, randomized clinical trial conducted from June 2019 through January 2020. Labor management was standardized among participants. Women undergoing IOL at ≥37 weeks with a singleton gestation and cervical dilation ≤2 cm were included. Body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2) was stratified. The primary outcome was time to delivery. Results A total of 215 participants were included. Demographic characteristics were similar between the three groups. Vaginal drug administration achieved a faster median time to delivery than the buccal route among patients with a body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m 2 (vaginal misoprostol–FC: 21.3 hours vs. buccal misoprostol–FC: 25.2 hours, p = 0.006). There was no difference in the cesarean delivery rate between the two groups. Furthermore, patients with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m 2 receiving vaginal misoprostol delivered 1.2 times faster than women who received buccal misoprostol after censoring for cesarean delivery and adjusting for parity (hazard ratio: 1.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.1–1.7). There were no significant differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes. Conclusion We found that vaginal misoprostol was superior to buccal misoprostol when combined with a FC among individuals with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m 2. Vaginal misoprostol should be the preferred route of drug administration for term IOL in this population. Key Points Vaginal misoprostol was superior to buccal route among patients with obesity. There was no difference in the cesarean delivery rate between the two groups. Vaginal misoprostol should be the preferred route of administration among patients with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: The prevalence of obesity in US children has more than tripled in the past 40 years; hence, it is critical to identify potentially modifiable factors that may mitigate the risk. Objectives: To examine the association between maternal pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG) and child adiposity as measured by BMI, waist circumference and percent body fat in a racial‐ethnically diverse cohort. Methods: In a prospective cohort study of healthy women without chronic disease, we examined the association between pre‐pregnancy BMI, GWG and child adiposity. Children ages 4–8 years (n = 816) in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes‐NICHD Fetal Growth Studies were assessed. Trained study staff ascertained maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI, GWG and child adiposity. Results: The odds of child obesity (≥95th BMI percentile) increased independently for each unit increase in maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI [OR = 1.12 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.17)] and for each 5‐kg increase in GWG [OR = 1.25 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.47)]. The odds of child waist circumference (≥85th percentile) also increased independently for pre‐pregnancy BMI [OR = 1.09 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.12)] and GWG [OR = 1.18 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.34)]. Conclusions: Maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI and GWG were each independently and positively associated with child obesity and high child waist circumference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]