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Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and birth outcomes in a pregnancy cohort in Nairobi, Kenya

Allison R. SherrisDepartment of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaPriscillah Wanini EdembaKenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, KenyaAnne M. RiedererDepartment of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaJudy AdhiamboDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaLewis OlweyweKenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, KenyaPrestone OwitiDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaCatherine J. KarrDepartment of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaJohn KinuthiaDepartment of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaBarbra A. RichardsonDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaChristopher D. SimpsonDepartment of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaChristopher ZuidemaDepartment of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaElizabeth Maleche‐ObimboDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaSarah Benki‐NugentDepartment of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America

2025en

ABI

Annotatsiya

Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been linked to lower birth weight (BW) and shorter gestational age (GA) at delivery. Most research has focused on populations in high-income countries, leaving low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) understudied. We examined associations between pregnancy urinary PAH metabolites and birth outcomes in a prospective cohort in Nairobi, Kenya. The study population was drawn from women and their newborn babies enrolled in a pregnancy cohort in Nairobi, Kenya. Third-trimester urinary mono-hydroxylated PAH metabolites (OH-PAH) were measured and infant BW and GA were ascertained using medical record abstraction and self-report; BW-for-GA z-scores were computed. Linear and modified Poisson regression models were used to estimate the effects of five OH-PAHs on birth outcomes; Weighted Quantile Sum regression was used to explore OH-PAH mixture effects. Among 353 mother-infant pairs, the median infant BW was 3.2 kg and 10.7% were born preterm. All OH-PAH metabolites were present in urine of >99% of mothers. Individual OH-PAH concentrations were not associated with BW or BW-for-GA z-scores. One metabolite, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, was associated with shortened gestation (RR = -1.6 day per doubling in concentration, 95% confidence interval: -3.1, -0.1). This association was attenuated after adjusting for self-reported exposure to household fuel and outdoor combustion and was strengthened among female infants, but not male infants, in sex-stratified analyses. Other metabolites and the OH-PAH mixture were not associated with birth outcomes. Our findings suggest that exposure to 2-hydroxyphenanthrene may have a modest adverse effect on pregnancy duration, with potential sex-specific differences in association. No associations were observed for markers of fetal growth. These results highlight need for further studies on sex-specific vulnerabilities and the role of environmental co-exposures in impacting birth outcomes in LMICs.

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DOI: 10.1101/2025.08.01.25332639

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