Last data update: Apr 29, 2024. (Total: 46658 publications since 2009)
Records 1-19 (of 19 Records) |
Query Trace: Herring AH[original query] |
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Bias analyses to investigate the impact of differential participation: Application to a birth defects case-control study
Petersen JM , Kahrs JC , Adrien N , Wood ME , Olshan AF , Smith LH , Howley MM , Ailes EC , Romitti PA , Herring AH , Parker SE , Shaw GM , Politis MD . Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2023 BACKGROUND: Certain associations observed in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) contrasted with other research or were from areas with mixed findings, including no decrease in odds of spina bifida with periconceptional folic acid supplementation, moderately increased cleft palate odds with ondansetron use and reduced hypospadias odds with maternal smoking. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the plausibility and extent of differential participation to produce effect estimates observed in NBDPS. METHODS: We searched the literature for factors related to these exposures and participation and conducted deterministic quantitative bias analyses. We estimated case-control participation and expected exposure prevalence based on internal and external reports, respectively. For the folic acid-spina bifida and ondansetron-cleft palate analyses, we hypothesized the true odds ratio (OR) based on prior studies and quantified the degree of exposure over- (or under-) representation to produce the crude OR (cOR) in NBDPS. For the smoking-hypospadias analysis, we estimated the extent of selection bias needed to nullify the association as well as the maximum potential harmful OR. RESULTS: Under our assumptions (participation, exposure prevalence, true OR), there was overrepresentation of folic acid use and underrepresentation of ondansetron use and smoking among participants. Folic acid-exposed spina bifida cases would need to have been ≥1.2× more likely to participate than exposed controls to yield the observed null cOR. Ondansetron-exposed cleft palate cases would need to have been 1.6× more likely to participate than exposed controls if the true OR is null. Smoking-exposed hypospadias cases would need to have been ≥1.2 times less likely to participate than exposed controls for the association to falsely appear protective (upper bound of selection bias adjusted smoking-hypospadias OR = 2.02). CONCLUSIONS: Differential participation could partly explain certain associations observed in NBDPS, but questions remain about why. Potential impacts of other systematic errors (e.g. exposure misclassification) could be informed by additional research. |
Associations between PM2.5 and risk of preterm birth among liveborn infants
Alman BL , Stingone JA , Yazdy M , Botto LD , Desrosiers TA , Pruitt S , Herring AH , Langlois PH , Nembhard WN , Shaw GM , Olshan AF , Luben TJ . Ann Epidemiol 2019 39 46-53 e2 PURPOSE: Studies suggest exposure to ambient particulate matter less than 2.5 mug/m(3) in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) may be associated with preterm birth (PTB), but few have evaluated how this is modified by ambient temperature. We investigated the relationship between PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy and PTB in infants without birth defects (1999-2006) and enrolled in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study and how it is modified by concurrent temperature. METHODS: PTB was defined as spontaneous or iatrogenic delivery before 37 weeks. Exposure was assigned using inverse distance weighting with up to four monitors within 50 kilometers of maternal residence. To account for state-level variations, a Bayesian two-level hierarchal model was developed. RESULTS: PTB was associated with PM2.5 during the third and fourth months of pregnancy (range: (odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 1.00 (0.35, 2.15) to 1.49 (0.82, 2.68) and 1.31 (0.56, 2.91) to 1.62 (0.7, 3.32), respectively); no week of exposure conveyed greater risk. Temperature may modify this relationship; higher local average temperatures during pregnancy yielded stronger positive relationships between PM2.5 and PTB compared to nonstratified results. CONCLUSIONS: Results add to literature on associations between PM2.5 and PTB, underscoring the importance of considering co-exposures when estimating effects of PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy. |
Neonatal jaundice in association with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disorder
Cordero C , Schieve LA , Croen LA , Engel SM , Maria Siega-Riz A , Herring AH , Vladutiu CJ , Seashore CJ , Daniels JL . J Perinatol 2019 40 (2) 219-225 OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between neonatal jaundice and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and non-ASD developmental disorder (DD). STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed data from the Study to Explore Early Development, a US multisite, case-control study conducted from 2007 to 2011. Developmental assessment classified children aged 2-5 years into: ASD (n = 636), DD (n = 777), or controls (POP; n = 926). Neonatal jaundice (n = 1054) was identified from medical records and maternal interviews. We examined associations between neonatal jaundice and ASD and DD using regression models to obtain adjusted odds ratios (aOR). RESULTS: Our results showed interaction between gestational age and neonatal jaundice. Neonatal jaundice was associated with ASD at 35-37 weeks (aOR = 1.83, 95%CI 1.05, 3.19), but not >/=38 weeks gestation (aOR = 0.97, 95%CI 0.76, 1.24). Similar results were observed with DD. CONCLUSIONS: Further exploration of timing and severity of neonatal jaundice and ASD/DD is warranted. |
Maternal diabetes and hypertensive disorders in association with autism spectrum disorder
Cordero C , Windham GC , Schieve LA , Fallin MD , Croen LA , Siega-Riz AM , Engel SM , Herring AH , Stuebe AM , Vladutiu CJ , Daniels JL . Autism Res 2019 12 (6) 967-975 Previous studies have shown complications of pregnancy, often examined in aggregate, to be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results for specific complications, such as maternal diabetes and hypertension, have not been uniformly consistent and should be investigated independently in relation to ASD in a large community-based sample. The Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), a US multisite case-control study, enrolled children born in 2003-2006 at 2-5 years of age. Children were classified into three groups based on confirmation of ASD (n = 698), non-ASD developmental delay (DD; n = 887), or controls drawn from the general population (POP; n = 979). Diagnoses of any diabetes or hypertensive disorder during pregnancy were identified from prenatal medical records and maternal self-report. Logistic regression models estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and confidence intervals (CI) adjusting for maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, smoking during pregnancy, and study site. Models for hypertension were additionally adjusted for parity and plurality. Among 2,564 mothers, we identified 246 (9.6%) with any diabetes and 386 (15.1%) with any hypertension in pregnancy. After adjustment for covariates, any diabetes during pregnancy was not associated with ASD (aOR = 1.10 [95% CI 0.77, 1.56]), but any hypertension was associated with ASD (aOR = 1.69 [95% CI 1.26, 2.26]). Results were similar for DD, and any diabetes (aOR = 1.29 [95% CI 0.94, 1.78]) or any hypertension (aOR = 1.71 [95% CI 1.30, 2.25]). Some pregnancy complications, such as hypertension, may play a role in autism etiology and can possibly serve as a prompt for more vigilant ASD screening efforts. Autism Res 2019. (c) 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: We studied if common complications in pregnancy are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a large sample of mothers and children. Our results show an association between conditions marked by high blood pressure and ASD, but no association with conditions marked by high blood sugar and ASD. Associations were similar for children who had a developmental disorder that was not ASD, suggesting that this relationship may not be specific to ASD. |
Bayesian local extremum splines
Wheeler MW , Dunson DB , Herring AH . Biometrika 2017 104 (4) 939-952 We consider shape-restricted nonparametric regression on a closed set X CR, where it is reasonable to assume that the function has no more than H local extrema interior to X. Following a Bayesian approach we develop a nonparametric prior over a novel class of local extremum splines. This approach is shown to be consistent when modelling any continuously differentiable function within the class considered, and we use it to develop methods for testing hypotheses on the shape of the curve. Sampling algorithms are developed, and the method is applied in simulation studies and data examples where the shape of the curve is of interest. |
Impact of sample collection participation on the validity of estimated measures of association in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study when assessing gene-environment interactions.
Jenkins MM , Reefhuis J , Herring AH , Honein MA . Genet Epidemiol 2017 41 (8) 834-843 To better understand the impact that nonresponse for specimen collection has on the validity of estimates of association, we examined associations between self-reported maternal periconceptional smoking, folic acid use, or pregestational diabetes mellitus and six birth defects among families who did and did not submit buccal cell samples for DNA following a telephone interview as part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). Analyses included control families with live born infants who had no birth defects (N = 9,465), families of infants with anorectal atresia or stenosis (N = 873), limb reduction defects (N = 1,037), gastroschisis (N = 1,090), neural tube defects (N = 1,764), orofacial clefts (N = 3,836), or septal heart defects (N = 4,157). Estimated dates of delivery were between 1997 and 2009. For each exposure and birth defect, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression stratified by race-ethnicity and sample collection status. Tests for interaction were applied to identify potential differences between estimated measures of association based on sample collection status. Significant differences in estimated measures of association were observed in only four of 48 analyses with sufficient sample sizes. Despite lower than desired participation rates in buccal cell sample collection, this validation provides some reassurance that the estimates obtained for sample collectors and noncollectors are comparable. These findings support the validity of observed associations in gene-environment interaction studies for the selected exposures and birth defects among NBDPS participants who submitted DNA samples. |
Association between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and infertility among older women of reproductive age
Steiner AZ , Pritchard D , Stanczyk FZ , Kesner JS , Meadows JW , Herring AH , Baird DD . JAMA 2017 318 (14) 1367-1376 Importance: Despite lack of evidence of their utility, biomarkers of ovarian reserve are being promoted as potential markers of reproductive potential. Objective: To determine the associations between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and reproductive potential among women of late reproductive age. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective time-to-pregnancy cohort study (2008 to date of last follow-up in March 2016) of women (N = 981) aged 30 to 44 years without a history of infertility who had been trying to conceive for 3 months or less, recruited from the community in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, area. Exposures: Early-follicular-phase serum level of antimullerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and inhibin B and urinary level of FSH. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were the cumulative probability of conception by 6 and 12 cycles of attempt and relative fecundability (probability of conception in a given menstrual cycle). Conception was defined as a positive pregnancy test result. Results: A total of 750 women (mean age, 33.3 [SD, 3.2] years; 77% white; 36% overweight or obese) provided a blood and urine sample and were included in the analysis. After adjusting for age, body mass index, race, current smoking status, and recent hormonal contraceptive use, women with low AMH values (<0.7 ng/mL [n = 84]) did not have a significantly different predicted probability of conceiving by 6 cycles of attempt (65%; 95% CI, 50%-75%) compared with women (n = 579) with normal values (62%; 95% CI, 57%-66%) or by 12 cycles of attempt (84% [95% CI, 70%-91%] vs 75% [95% CI, 70%-79%], respectively). Women with high serum FSH values (>10 mIU/mL [n = 83]) did not have a significantly different predicted probability of conceiving after 6 cycles of attempt (63%; 95% CI, 50%-73%) compared with women (n = 654) with normal values (62%; 95% CI, 57%-66%) or after 12 cycles of attempt (82% [95% CI, 70%-89%] vs 75% [95% CI, 70%-78%], respectively). Women with high urinary FSH values (>11.5 mIU/mg creatinine [n = 69]) did not have a significantly different predicted probability of conceiving after 6 cycles of attempt (61%; 95% CI, 46%-74%) compared with women (n = 660) with normal values (62%; 95% CI, 58%-66%) or after 12 cycles of attempt (70% [95% CI, 54%-80%] vs 76% [95% CI, 72%-80%], respectively). Inhibin B levels (n = 737) were not associated with the probability of conceiving in a given cycle (hazard ratio per 1-pg/mL increase, 0.999; 95% CI, 0.997-1.001). Conclusions and Relevance: Among women aged 30 to 44 years without a history of infertility who had been trying to conceive for 3 months or less, biomarkers indicating diminished ovarian reserve compared with normal ovarian reserve were not associated with reduced fertility. These findings do not support the use of urinary or blood follicle-stimulating hormone tests or antimullerian hormone levels to assess natural fertility for women with these characteristics. |
Prenatal alcohol exposure in relation to autism spectrum disorder: Findings from the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED)
Singer AB , Aylsworth AS , Cordero C , Croen LA , DiGuiseppi C , Fallin MD , Herring AH , Hooper SR , Pretzel RE , Schieve LA , Windham GC , Daniels JL . Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2017 31 (6) 573-582 BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol exposure can affect neurodevelopment, but few studies have examined associations with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: We assessed the association between maternal alcohol use and ASD in the Study to Explore Early Development, a multi-site case-control study of children born between September 2003 and August 2006 in the US Regression analyses included 684 children with research clinician-confirmed ASD, 869 children with non-ASD developmental delays or disorders (DDs), and 962 controls ascertained from the general population (POP). Maternal alcohol exposure during each month from 3 months prior to conception until delivery was assessed by self-report. RESULTS: Mothers of POP children were more likely to report any prenatal alcohol use than mothers of children with ASD or DD. In trimester one, 21.2% of mothers of POP children reported alcohol use compared with 18.1% and 18.2% of mothers of children with ASD or DD, respectively (adjusted OR for ASD vs. POP 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.6, 1.1). During preconception and the first month of pregnancy, one to two drinks on average per week was inversely associated with ASD risk. CONCLUSIONS: These results do not support an adverse association between low-level alcohol exposure and ASD, although these findings were based on retrospective self-reported alcohol use. Unmeasured confounding or exposure misclassification may explain inverse associations with one to two drinks per week. Pregnant or potentially pregnant women should continue to follow recommendations to avoid alcohol use because of other known effects on infant health and neurodevelopment. |
Lactational exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and its relation to early childhood anthropometric measurements
Hoffman K , Mendez M , Siega-Riz AM , Herring AH , Sjodin A , Daniels JL . Environ Health Perspect 2016 124 (10) 1656-1661 BACKGROUND: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that may impact growth and development. We investigated the association between exposure to PBDEs via breast milk and anthropometric measurements in early childhood. METHODS: The Pregnancy Infection and Nutrition (PIN) Babies studies followed a cohort of North Carolina pregnant women and their children through 36 months of age. Breast milk samples obtained at 3 months postpartum were analyzed for PBDEs. We collected height and weight records from well-baby doctor visits and also measured children during study visits (n=246 children with >1400 anthropometric measurements). We assessed the relationship between breast milk concentrations of five PBDE congeners-BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, and 153-and child's weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height z-scores (WAZ, HAZ, and WHZ, respectively), adjusting for age; maternal age, race, pre-pregnancy BMI; parity; smoking during pregnancy; and breastfeeding, and stratifying by sex. RESULTS: Overall PBDE exposures via breast milk were not associated with early life anthropometric measures in the PIN Babies cohort. When stratified by sex, PBDEs in milk were inversely associated with WHZ for boys; however, associations did not follow a consistent pattern across the concentration gradient and were imprecisely estimated. Among girls, PBDEs tended to be associated with increased WHZ, with the exception of BDE-153 which was inversely associated with WHZ, though all estimates were imprecisely estimated. CONCLUSIONS: We observed little evidence of associations between early-life PBDE exposures via breast milk and anthropometric measurements overall; however, our results prompt the need for sex-specific investigations in larger cohorts. |
Prenatal phthalate exposures and childhood fat mass in a New York City cohort
Buckley JP , Engel SM , Mendez MA , Richardson DB , Daniels JL , Calafat AM , Wolff MS , Herring AH . Environ Health Perspect 2016 124 (4) 507-13 BACKGROUND: Experimental animal studies and limited epidemiologic evidence suggest that prenatal exposure to phthalates may be obesogenic, with potential sex-specific effects of phthalates having anti-androgenic activity. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess associations between prenatal phthalate exposures and childhood fat mass in a prospective cohort study. METHODS: We measured phthalate metabolite concentrations in third-trimester maternal urine in a cohort of women enrolled in New York City between 1998 and 2002 (n = 404). Among 180 children (82 girls and 98 boys), we evaluated body composition using a Tanita scale at multiple follow-up visits between ages 4 and 9 years (363 total visits). We estimated associations of standard deviation differences or tertiles of natural log phthalate metabolite concentrations with percent fat mass using linear mixed-effects regression models with random intercepts for repeated outcome measurements. We assessed associations in multiple metabolite models and adjusted for covariates including prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and breastfeeding. RESULTS: We did not observe associations between maternal urinary phthalate concentrations and percent body fat in models examining continuous exposures. Fat mass was 3.06% (95% CI: -5.99, -0.09%) lower among children in the highest tertile of maternal urinary concentrations of summed di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (SigmaDEHP) metabolites than in children in the lowest tertile. Though estimates were imprecise, there was little evidence that associations between maternal urinary phthalate concentrations and percent fat mass were modified by child's sex. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal phthalate exposures were not associated with increased body fat among children 4-9 years of age, though high prenatal DEHP exposure may be associated with lower fat mass in childhood. |
Prenatal exposure to environmental phenols and childhood fat mass in the Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Study
Buckley JP , Herring AH , Wolff MS , Calafat AM , Engel SM . Environ Int 2016 91 350-356 Early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals may alter adipogenesis and energy balance leading to changes in obesity risk. Several studies have evaluated the association of prenatal bisphenol A exposure with childhood body size but only one study of male infants has examined other environmental phenols. Therefore, we assessed associations between prenatal exposure to environmental phenols and fat mass in a prospective birth cohort. We quantified four phenol biomarkers in third trimester maternal spot urine samples in a cohort of women enrolled in New York City between 1998 and 2002 and evaluated fat mass in their children using a Tanita scale between ages 4 and 9years (173 children with 351 total observations). We estimated associations of standard deviation differences in natural log creatinine-standardized phenol biomarker concentrations with percent fat mass using linear mixed effects regression models. We did not observe associations of bisphenol A or triclosan with childhood percent fat mass. In unadjusted models, maternal urinary concentrations of 2,5-dichlorophenol were associated with greater percent fat mass and benzophenone-3 was associated with lower percent fat mass among children. After adjustment, phenol biomarkers were not associated with percent fat mass. However, the association between benzophenone-3 and percent fat mass was modified by child's sex: benzophenone-3 concentrations were inversely associated with percent fat mass in girls (beta=-1.51, 95% CI=-3.06, 0.01) but not boys (beta=-0.20, 95% CI=-1.69, 1.26). Although we did not observe strong evidence that prenatal environmental phenols exposures influence the development of childhood adiposity, the potential antiadipogenic effect of benzophenone-3 in girls may warrant further investigation. |
Impact of missing data for body mass index in an epidemiologic study
Razzaghi H , Tinker SC , Herring AH , Howards PP , Waller DK , Johnson CY . Matern Child Health J 2016 20 (7) 1497-505 OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential impact of missing data on body mass index (BMI) on the association between prepregnancy obesity and specific birth defects. METHODS: Data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) were analyzed. We assessed the factors associated with missing BMI data among mothers of infants without birth defects. Four analytic methods were then used to assess the impact of missing BMI data on the association between maternal prepregnancy obesity and three birth defects; spina bifida, gastroschisis, and cleft lip with/without cleft palate. The analytic methods were: (1) complete case analysis; (2) assignment of missing values to either obese or normal BMI; (3) multiple imputation; and (4) probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Logistic regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Of NBDPS control mothers 4.6 % were missing BMI data, and most of the missing values were attributable to missing height (~90 %). Missing BMI data was associated with birth outside of the US (aOR 8.6; 95 % CI 5.5, 13.4), interview in Spanish (aOR 2.4; 95 % CI 1.8, 3.2), Hispanic ethnicity (aOR 2.0; 95 % CI 1.2, 3.4), and <12 years education (aOR 2.3; 95 % CI 1.7, 3.1). Overall the results of the multiple imputation and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were similar to the complete case analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Although in some scenarios missing BMI data can bias the magnitude of association, it does not appear likely to have impacted conclusions from a traditional complete case analysis of these data. |
Prenatal phthalate exposures and body mass index among 4 to 7 year old children: a pooled analysis
Buckley JP , Engel SM , Braun JM , Whyatt RM , Daniels JL , Mendez MA , Richardson DB , Xu Y , Calafat AM , Wolff MS , Lanphear BP , Herring AH , Rundle AG . Epidemiology 2016 27 (3) 449-58 BACKGROUND: Phthalates are hypothesized to cause obesity, but few studies have assessed whether prenatal phthalate exposures are related to childhood body mass index (BMI). METHODS: We included 707 children from three prospective cohort studies enrolled in the United States between 1998 and 2006 who had maternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations measured during pregnancy, and measures of weight and height at ages 4 to 7 years. We calculated age- and sex-standardized BMI z-scores and classified children with BMI percentiles ≥85 as overweight/obese. We used mixed effects regression models to estimate associations between a 1-standard deviation increase in natural log phthalate metabolite concentrations and BMI zscores and overweight/obesity. We estimated associations in multiple metabolite models adjusted for confounders, and evaluated heterogeneity of associations by child's sex, race/ethnicity, and cohort RESULTS: Mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) concentrations were positively associated with overweight/obese status in children (odds ratio [95% credible interval] = 2.1 [1.2, 4.0]) but not with BMI z-scores (beta = -0.02 [-0.15, 0.11]). We did not observe evidence of obesogenic effects for other metabolites. However, monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and summed di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites ( summation operatorDEHP) concentrations were inversely associated with BMI z-scores among girls (MEP beta = -0.14 [-0.28, 0.00]; summation operatorDEHP beta = -0.12 [-0.27, 0.02]). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal urinary MCPP, a non-specific metabolite of several phthalates, was positively associated with childhood overweight/obesity. Metabolites of diethyl phthalate and DEHP were associated with lower BMI in girls but not boys, suggesting prenatal exposures may have sexually dimorphic effects on physical development. |
Mechanistic hierarchical Gaussian processes
Wheeler MW , Dunson DB , Pandalai SP , Baker BA , Herring AH . J Am Stat Assoc 2014 109 (507) 894-904 The statistics literature on functional data analysis focuses primarily on flexible black-box approaches, which are designed to allow individual curves to have essentially any shape while characterizing variability. Such methods typically cannot incorporate mechanistic information, which is commonly expressed in terms of differential equations. Motivated by studies of muscle activation, we propose a nonparametric Bayesian approach that takes into account mechanistic understanding of muscle physiology. A novel class of hierarchical Gaussian processes is defined that favors curves consistent with differential equations defined on motor, damper, spring systems. A Gibbs sampler is proposed to sample from the posterior distribution and applied to a study of rats exposed to non-injurious muscle activation protocols. Although motivated by muscle force data, a parallel approach can be used to include mechanistic information in broad functional data analysis applications. |
Maternal exposure to criteria air pollutants and congenital heart defects in offspring: results from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Stingone JA , Luben TJ , Daniels JL , Fuentes M , Richardson DB , Aylsworth AS , Herring AH , Anderka M , Botto L , Correa A , Gilboa SM , Langlois PH , Mosley B , Shaw GM , Siffel C , Olshan AF . Environ Health Perspect 2014 122 (8) 863-72 BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic literature suggests exposure to air pollutants is associated with fetal development. OBJECTIVES: To investigate maternal exposures to air pollutants during weeks two through eight of pregnancy and congenital heart defects. METHODS: Mothers from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a nine-state case-control study, were assigned one-week and seven-week averages of daily maximum concentrations of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide and 24-hour measurements of fine and coarse particulate matter using the closest air monitor within 50 km to their residence during early pregnancy. Depending upon the pollutant, a maximum of 4632 live-birth controls and 3328 live-birth, fetal-death or electively terminated cases had exposure data. Hierarchical regression models, adjusted for maternal demographics, tobacco and alcohol use, were constructed. Principal component analysis was used to assess these relationships in a multipollutant context. RESULTS: Positive associations were observed between exposure to nitrogen dioxide and coarctation of the aorta and pulmonary valve stenosis. Exposure to fine particulate matter was positively associated with hypoplastic left heart syndrome but inversely associated with atrial septal defects. Examining individual exposure-weeks suggested associations between pollutants and defects that were not observed using the seven-week average. Associations between left ventricular outflow tract obstructions and nitrogen dioxide and hypoplastic left heart syndrome and particulate matter were supported by findings from the multipollutant analyses, although estimates were attenuated at the highest exposure levels. CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing daily maximum pollutant levels and exploring individual exposure-weeks revealed some positive associations between certain pollutants and defects and suggested potential windows of susceptibility during pregnancy. |
Urinary follicle-stimulating hormone as a measure of natural fertility in a community cohort
Steiner AZ , Long DL , Herring AH , Kesner JS , Meadows JW , Baird DD . Reprod Sci 2013 20 (5) 549-56 High serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels have been associated with diminished ovarian reserve; however, the association between high urinary FSH and reduced natural fertility has yet to be established. We sought to characterize the relationship between a single or multiple measurements of early follicular phase urinary FSH and fertility. Women (n = 209), 30 to 44 years old with no history of infertility, who had been trying to conceive for less than 3 months, provided early follicular phase urine. Participants subsequently kept a diary to record bleeding and intercourse and conducted standardized pregnancy testing for up to 6 months. A subset of women (N = 95) collected urine on cycle day 3 for up to 6 cycles. Urine was analyzed for FSH and creatinine (cr) corrected. Proportional hazard models were used to calculate fecundability ratios (FRs). Urinary FSH levels across cycles from the same woman were highly correlated (adjusted intraclass correlation = .77); within-woman variance was 3-fold lower than variance among women. Women with an initial urinary FSH level <7 mIU/mg cr exhibited a nonsignificant reduction in the probability of pregnancy (adjusted FR 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-1.13), as did women with elevated urinary FSH (≥12 mIU/mg cr; adjusted FR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.46-1.32). Using the most recent or maximum urinary FSH value did not strengthen the association. In the general population, urinary FSH levels appear to be nonlinearly associated with fertility; however, broad CIs indicate a lack of statistical significance. Repetitive testing appears to be of little benefit. |
Paternal occupation and birth defects: findings from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Desrosiers TA , Herring AH , Shapira SK , Hooiveld M , Luben TJ , Herdt-Losavio ML , Lin S , Olshan AF . Occup Environ Med 2012 69 (8) 534-542 OBJECTIVES: Several epidemiological studies have suggested that certain paternal occupations may be associated with an increased prevalence of birth defects in offspring. Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, the authors investigated the association between paternal occupation and birth defects in a case-control study of cases comprising over 60 different types of birth defects (n=9998) and non-malformed controls (n=4066) with dates of delivery between 1997 and 2004. METHODS: Using paternal occupational histories reported by mothers via telephone interview, jobs were systematically classified into 63 groups based on shared exposure profiles within occupation and industry. Data were analysed using Bayesian logistic regression with a hierarchical prior for dependent shrinkage to stabilise estimation with sparse data. RESULTS: Several occupations were associated with an increased prevalence of various birth defect categories, including mathematical, physical and computer scientists; artists; photographers and photo processors; food service workers; landscapers and groundskeepers; hairdressers and cosmetologists; office and administrative support workers; sawmill workers; petroleum and gas workers; chemical workers; printers; material moving equipment operators; and motor vehicle operators. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study might be used to identify specific occupations worthy of further investigation and to generate hypotheses about chemical or physical exposures common to such occupations. |
Antimullerian hormone as a predictor of natural fecundability in women aged 30-42 years
Steiner AZ , Herring AH , Kesner JS , Meadows JW , Stanczyk FZ , Hoberman S , Baird DD . Obstet Gynecol 2011 117 (4) 798-804 OBJECTIVE: To generate estimates of the association between markers of ovarian aging and natural fertility in a community sample at risk for ovarian aging. METHODS: Women aged 30-44 years with no history of infertility who had been trying to conceive for less than 3 months provided early-follicular phase serum and urine (N=100). Subsequently, these women kept a diary to record menstrual bleeding and intercourse and conducted standardized pregnancy testing for up to 6 months. Serum was analyzed for estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), antimullerian hormone, and inhibin B. Urine was analyzed for FSH and estrone 3-glucuronide. Diary data on menstrual cycle day and patterns of intercourse were used to calculate day-specific fecundability ratios. RESULTS: Sixty-three percent of participants conceived within 6 months. After adjusting for age, 18 women (18%) with serum antimullerian hormone levels of 0.7 ng/mL or less had significantly reduced fecundability given intercourse on a fertile day compared with women with higher antimullerian hormone levels (fecundability ratio 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08-0.91). The day-specific fecundability for women with early-follicular phase serum FSH values greater than 10 milli-international units/mL compared with women with lower FSH levels was also reduced, although nonsignificantly (11% of women affected; fecundability ratio 0.44; 95% CI 0.08-1.10). The association with urinary FSH was weaker (27% women affected; fecundability ratio 0.61; 95% CI 0.26-1.26), and the associations for the other markers were weaker still. CONCLUSION: Early-follicular phase antimullerian hormone appears to be associated with natural fertility in the general population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II. |
Hypospadias and halogenated organic pollutant levels in maternal mid-pregnancy serum samples
Carmichael SL , Herring AH , Sjodin A , Jones R , Needham L , Ma C , Ding K , Shaw GM . Chemosphere 2010 80 (6) 641-646 BACKGROUND: Environmental contaminants that disrupt endocrine function may contribute to hypospadias etiology. OBJECTIVE: To compare levels of selected halogenated organic pollutants in women delivering infants with and without hypospadias. METHODS: This study examined levels of nine polybrominated flame retardants (PBDEs), 30 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and nine persistent pesticides in mid-pregnancy serum samples from 20 women who delivered infants with hypospadias and 28 women who delivered unaffected infants, in California. Analytes were measured using isotope dilution high-resolution mass spectrometry. Values below individual limits of detection (LOD) for each analyte were imputed based on a truncated multivariate normal distribution. Levels of 17 analytes for which at least 50% of cases and controls had values above the LOD were compared using t-tests and by generating odds ratios from logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Means were greater for cases than controls for 11 of the 17 reported analytes (4 of 5 PBDEs, 7 of 9 PCBs, and 0 of 3 other persistent pesticides), but none of the differences were statistically significant. Eleven of the 17 odds ratios exceeded one (the same analytes that had greater means), but none of the confidence intervals excluded one. After adjustment for sample processing time and foreign-born Hispanic race-ethnicity, only four of the odds ratios exceeded one. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of the PBDEs and PCBs were not statistically significantly different, but the sample size was small. The current study adds to a relatively limited knowledge base regarding the potential association of specific contaminants with hypospadias or other birth defects. |
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