Perioperative Exposure to Suspect Neurotoxicants From Medical Devices in Newborns With Congenital Heart Defects.

BACKGROUND: Industrial chemicals are increasingly recognized as potential developmental neurotoxicants. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), used to impart flexibility and temperature tolerance to polyvinylchloride, and bisphenol A (BPA), used to manufacture polycarbonate, are commonly present in medical devices. The magnitude of exposure in neonates during hospitalization for cardiac operations is unknown.
METHODS: We quantified urinary concentrations of DEHP metabolites and BPA preoperatively and postoperatively in neonates undergoing cardiac operations and their mothers. Urinary concentrations of these biomarkers reflect recent exposures (half-lives are approximately 6 to 24 hours). Biomarker concentrations in mothers' and infants' preoperative and postoperative samples were compared.
RESULTS: Operations were performed in 18 infants (mean age, 5 ± 4 [SD] days). The maternal sample was obtained on postpartum day 4 ± 4. The preoperative urine sample was obtained on day-of-life 4 ± 2 and the postoperative sample on day-of-life 6 ± 4. Mean maternal concentrations for DEHP metabolites and BPA were at the 50th percentile for females in the United States general population. Infant preoperative concentrations of 1 DEHP metabolite and BPA were significantly higher than maternal concentrations. Postoperative concentrations for all DEHP metabolites were significantly greater than preoperative concentrations.
CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable perioperative exposure to DEHP and BPA for neonates undergoing cardiac operations. Infant concentrations for both BPA and DEHP metabolites were significantly higher than maternal concentrations, consistent with the infant's exposure to medical devices. Further study is needed to determine the potential role of these suspect neurotoxicants in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disability after cardiac operations.