Pregnancy: how environmental exposures impact the development of the unborn child

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Pregnancy how environmental exposures impact the development of the unborn

Allergies, autism spectrum disorders, neurological conditions… The environmental impact of certain chemical products on our health is no longer in doubt. And during pregnancy, the risks are multiplied, for the mother and the fetus.

According to WHO figures, 24% of deaths (i.e. 13.6 million per year) and 25% of chronic pathologies (cancers, asthma, allergies, neurological diseases) are due to environmental factors.

While we are all exposed to these factors on a daily basis, some people may be more vulnerable than others. This is particularly the case for pregnant women. “Pregnancy is a time when cells specialize and tissues are put in place, which makes the woman and the fetus particularly vulnerable to environmental factors., said Professor Robert Barouki, professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Paris Cité University, during a press conference on June 2.

Exposures during pregnancy and fetal development can impact which will not be seen at birth but the risks will increase drastically later. “Any chronic pathology is partly due to exposure to environmental pollutants.he continues.

The impact of endocrine disruptors on the functioning of the placenta

The placenta is thefetal organ that will serve the fetus during the nine months of gestation. It is central for metabolic exchanges, nourishes the fetus or eliminates waste. “The health of the placenta will condition the health of the fetus, but also later that of the child and the adult., recognizes Professor Nabila Jabrane-Ferrat, research director at the CNRS. A bad placenta can be a precursor to the appearance of pathologies later.

He will also have a barrier function and will, in most cases, protect against anything that may come from the mother, including viruses or endocrine disruptors often contained everywhere today. However, in some cases, the barrier is not airtight and toxic products can accumulate.

And even if the passage is low – 5% in the case of the Zika virus for example – the consequences can be significant: neurological, visual or even muscular disorders, sometimes not visible at birth but which develop in childhood. “The earlier the infection occurs, i.e. during the first trimester of pregnancy, the more harmful the effects on the development of the child.continues Professor Jabrane-Ferrat.

Weakening of fetal membranes

But the placenta is not the only one threatened by environmental exposures. A exposure to phthalates – chemicals used to soften plastics and found in cosmetics, plastic bottles or food trays – could be linked to the rupture of the fetal membrane, responsible for premature births. “The fetal membranes constitute the bag of waters, which must hold throughout the pregnancy and resist external pressures, protection against infections, make it possible to contain the amniotic fluid in which the fetus will bathe, particularly important for the well-being of the child. fetus”.

Towards the end of pregnancy, these membranes will planning and preparing for birth and break for childbirth. But sometimes, the rupture of the membranes takes place prematurely, this happens in 2 to 3% of pregnancies and will constitute 30% of prematurity, which is a relatively large number. The research team has demonstrated that exposure to phthalates interferes with a particular cellular process: inflammation, which will be triggered before the end of pregnancy and which starts childbirth.

Allergies, asthma, ASD…

The exhibitions, in particular fungicides (pesticides) at low or high doses, in parallel with genetic factors, could have effects on child neurodevelopment and be at the origin of the appearance of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). “Present in our food, the pesticide residues tolerated by the European Union at doses considered to be low constitute environmental chemical agents that pregnant and then breastfeeding women consume daily, and whose effects on their offspring remain unknown.“, says Martine Cohen-Salmon, research director at the CNRS.

Allergies can also strike the child. Considered the 4e chronic disease according to the WHO, allergy today affects 30% of the world’s population. “They will affect 50% of the world’s population in 2050, according to WHO forecasts. says Prof. Karine Adel-Patient, research director at INRAE. They represent an excessive immune response against environmental compounds and an alteration of the barriers of the immune system. They affect children earlier and earlier and are more severe: 6 to 8% of children are affected by allergiescompared to 2 to 4% of adults.

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