Researchers of the UGR, the Laboratory for Medical Research and the Paediatric Service of the Teaching Hospital are the authors of “Prenatal risk factors for cryptorchidism and hypospadias: a case control study”.
Cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and hypospadias (abnormal positioning of the meatus) are two kinds of neonatal malformations of the genitourinary system. An ecological study suggested that the incidence of cryptorchidism in Spain was higher in areas with greater use of pesticides than in areas with less pesticide exposure. A case-control study was conducted in South-eastern Spain to explore prenatal risk factors for criptorchydism and hypospadias, with special emphasis on exposure to environmental chemicals with estrogenic activity. A questionnaire adapted from a Danish-Finnish study was used to gather information of parental characteristics, pregnancy and delivery. Blood from umbilical cords and placentas were collected at the time of delivery in the University Hospital in Granada.
Prenatal risk factors
Cases (criptorchydism and/or hypospadias) were recruited together with controls matched for parity and gestational weeks. Mean age of mothers was 29.5 yrs (range, 17-43 yrs); 57% had low educational level (similar to that of fathers); 40% were multiparous, 19.25% had preterm delivery, and 21% of deliveries were by Caesarian. Risk of cryptorchidism and hypospadias increased with lower birth weight and lesser increase in maternal weight during pregnancy. In addition, they examined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry the content of 17 organochlorine pesticides.
The results obtained are compatibly wth an association between exposure to xenobiotics with hormone-disrupting activity and increased risk of cryptorchidism and hypospadia. This study was supported by grants from the 5th Frame Program of the European Union Commission and the Health Institute Carlos III through the INMA network (Childhood and Environment).
Reference: Prof Nicolás Olea Serrano. Dpt. Radiology and Physical Medicine.
Phone numbers. 958 242 864. E-mail. nolea@ugr.es.
