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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

The authors incorrectly omitted funding source NIH/NIAMS R21AR084039-01. The second paragraph of the 'Acknowledgments' section has been corrected to, 'This project was supported, in part, by the following: NIH/Office of [...]

Background: Alcohol craving is related to problematic alcohol use; therefore, pharmacotherapies that modulate alcohol craving are of interest. N‐acetylcysteine, an over‐the‐counter antioxidant, is a candidate pharmacotherapy for adolescent alcohol use with the potential to impact craving. Cue‐reactivity paradigms using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can identify neural regions implicated in craving and serve as a screening tool for novel pharmacotherapy options. Methods: This preliminary study examined the effect of N‐acetylcysteine on neural reactivity to alcohol cues and subjective craving among 31 non‐treatment‐seeking adolescents (17.6–19.9 years old, 55% female) who use alcohol heavily. In a randomized cross‐over design, participants completed three fMRI sessions: baseline and after a 10‐day course of N‐acetylcysteine (1200 mg twice daily) and matched placebo. The primary outcome was neural response to alcohol versus non‐alcohol beverage cues after N‐acetylcysteine versus placebo, with a secondary outcome of self‐reported subjective craving. Results: In the full sample (n = 31), there was no effect of N‐acetylcysteine versus placebo on neural alcohol reactivity (ps ≥ 0.49; ηp2s = 0.00–0.07) or self‐reported acute alcohol craving (p = 0.18, ηp2 = 0.06). However, N‐acetylcysteine did reduce self‐reported generalized alcohol craving (p = 0.03, ηp2 = 0.15). In a subsample of youth who met criteria for past‐year alcohol use disorder (n = 19), results remained unchanged. Conclusions: N‐acetylcysteine may not alter neural reactivity to alcohol cues or acute craving; however, it may reduce general subjective alcohol craving among adolescents who consume alcohol heavily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescence is a sensitive stage of oral microbial development that often coincides with the initiation and escalation of alcohol use. Thus, adolescents may be particularly susceptible to alcohol‐induced alterations in the oral microbiome, though minimal research has been done in this area. Understanding the connection between the oral microbiome and alcohol use during adolescence is important to understand fully the biological consequences of alcohol use to mitigate potential adverse outcomes. Methods: Saliva samples were collected from adolescents aged 17–19 who used alcohol heavily (n = 21, 52.4% female) and those who did not use alcohol or any other substances (n = 18, 44.4% female). We utilized 16S rRNA sequencing to examine differences in microbial diversity and composition between the groups. Results: For alpha diversity, evenness was significantly lower in the drinking group than the control group as indicated by Pielou's evenness, Shannon, and Simpson indices. There were no statistically significant findings for beta diversity. Differential abundance analyses revealed higher abundances of Rothia and Corynebacterium in the alcohol‐using group using both centered‐log‐ratio and relative abundance normalization. These genera are known for their high capacity to convert alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic metabolite reported to play a role in the neurobiological effects of alcohol. An unclassified Clostridia UCG‐014, Streptobacillus, Comamonas, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, and Parvimonas were also identified as significantly different between groups when using only one of the normalization techniques. Conclusions: This is the first study designed specifically to compare the oral microbiome of adolescents who use alcohol with that of control participants. Our findings reveal distinct alcohol‐related differences in microbial composition and taxon abundance, emphasizing the importance of understanding the impact on the oral microbiome of alcohol use during adolescence. Because the oral microbiome is malleable, this study provides foundational work for future prevention and intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use initiation during early adolescence is associated with later development of substance use and mental health disorders. This study used various domains to predict substance use initiation, defined as trying any nonprescribed substance (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, cannabis), by age 12, using a large longitudinal data set. Substance-naive youths from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ages 9–10; N=6,829) were followed for 3 years. A total of 420 variables were examined as predictors of substance use initiation, using a penalized logistic regression with elastic net; domains spanned demographic characteristics, self and peer involvement with substance use, parenting behaviors, mental and physical health, culture and environment, hormones, neurocognitive functioning, and structural neuroimaging. By age 12, 982 (14.4%) children reported substance initiation, with alcohol being the most common. Models with only self-report predictors had similar prediction performance to models adding hormones, neurocognitive factors, and neuroimaging predictors (AUCtest=0.66). Sociodemographic factors were the most robust predictors, followed by cultural and environmental factors, physical health factors, and parenting behaviors. The top predictor was a religious preference of Mormon (coefficient=−0.87), followed by a religious preference for Jewish (coefficient=0.32), and by Black youths (coefficient=−0.32). Sociodemographic variables were the most robust predictors of substance use initiation. Adding resource-intensive measures, including hormones, neurocognitive assessment, and structural neuroimaging, did not improve prediction of substance use initiation. The application of these large-scale findings in clinical settings could help to streamline and tailor prevention and early intervention efforts. [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]