Ethylene Oxide Hemoglobin Adducts in Cord Blood and Offspring’s Size at Birth: The NewGeneris European Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Prenatal ethylene oxide exposure may have adverse effects on fetal development. We examined the relationships between ethylene oxide hemoglobin (Hb) adduct levels and offspring’s size at birth in a prospective European mother–child study. Methods: This study included 1106 singletons from the NewGeneris project (2006–2010) with ethylene oxide Hb adducts measured in cord blood. We examined the relationships between adduct levels and offspring’s size at birth among all infants and separately among infants of nonsmokers, using linear regression models for birth weight and birth head circumference and logarithmic binomial regression models for small for gestational age. We examined potential interactions between CYP2E1 single nucleotide polymorphisms in cord blood and the effects of ethylene oxide Hb adduct levels on offspring birth size. Results: Higher quartiles of adduct levels as a measure of exposure were associated with decreasing birth weight and head circumference in the overall population. Compared to infants in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile exhibited lower birth weight (−70.73 g, 95% confidence interval = −141.16, −0.30) and reduced head circumference (−0.30 cm, 95% confidence interval = −0.58, −0.02). We observed similar, albeit less pronounced, patterns among infants of nonsmokers. There was no evidence of an association between ethylene oxide Hb adducts and risk of small for gestational age, nor consistent evidence of an interaction with CYP2E1 polymorphisms on the association between EO Hb adduct levels and offspring’s size at birth. Conclusion: Results suggest that higher ethylene oxide Hb adduct levels in cord blood are associated with a reduction in offspring birth size.