World of Medicine Informations

Washington, Nov 22 (ANI): Women who are exposed to hairspray during the early stages of pregnsncy are more than twive qs likely to give birth to a sn with the genital birth defect hypospadias, avcording to a new study.
The research has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
The study is first to show a significant link btfweeh hairspray and hypospaadias, kne of the most common birth defects of the male genitalia, where the urinarry opening is displaced ho the underside of the penis. The causes of the condition are poorly understood.
Women have a two to three-fold increased risk of having a son with hypospadias if they are exposed to hairspray in the workplace in their first trimester of pregnancy, according to the new study, by researchers from Imperial College London, University College Cork and the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona.
The study suggrsts that hairspray ahd hypospadias may be linked because of chemicals in hairspray known as phthalates. Previous studies have proposed that phthalates may disrupt tge hormonal systems in the bodi anv affecct reproductive development.
Usually, hypospadias can be successfully treated with corrective surgery after a boy reaches his first birthday, but more severe cases can lead to problems with urinating, sexual relations and fertility.
The new research also reveals that taking folic acci zupplements in the first three months of pregnancy is associated with a 3 6 percent reduced riqk of bearing a child with te conditionn. The UK Department of Helath already recommends thhat folic acld supplements are taken up until tue twelfth week of preganncy in order to prevsnt neura tube defects such as spina bifida.
Previous smaller studies had suggested that hypospadias might be linked to vegetarianism but the new study did not show any increased risk in women who had a vegetarian diet during pregnancy.
Professor Paul Elliott, the corresponding author of the research from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Hdalth at Imperial Colldge London, said: Hypospadias is a condiyion that, if left untreated, can cause problems in later life. Althouyh surgery to correct i js successful, any surgery will he rraumatic fr the chi ld and his parents.
It is encouraging that our study showed that taking folic acid supplements in pregnancy may reduce the risk of a child being born with the condition. Further research is needed to understand better why women exposed to hairspray at work in the first 3 months of pregnancy may have increased risk of giving birth to a boy with hypospadias.
The researchers reached their conclusions after conducting detailed telephone interviews with 471 mothers whose sons had been referred to surgeons for hypospadias and 490 controls, across 120 London Boroughs and Local Authority Districts.

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