How prenatal phthalate exposure may affect the placenta and birth timing
Official title: Assessing how Prenatal Phthalate Exposure Disrupts Placental Transcriptional Regulation and Contributes to Changes in Gestational Length
Funded at Seattle Children's Hospital · NIH-11465137 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how chemicals called phthalates during pregnancy could change the placenta and influence whether a baby is born early or on time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Seattle Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | January 11, 2023 |
| Project end | October 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2027 |
| Award (this year) | $577,009 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES033785-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11465137 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people whose pregnancies may be affected by phthalate exposure or at risk for spontaneous preterm birth, through available placental tissue analyses.
✕Less likely to help
Pregnant people without significant phthalate exposure or those not contributing placental samples may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how exposure to phthalates in the womb alters placental gene expression, including microRNAs, to understand links to spontaneous preterm birth. They will build molecular signatures from placental samples to connect environmental exposure with changes that could trigger earlier delivery. The work builds on a large placental dataset and aims to identify potential biomarkers and targets for prevention or intervention. The study uses human placental tissue and approved analyses to explore mechanisms that may be modifiable by environmental factors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to biomarkers and interventions that reduce the risk of spontaneous preterm birth.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked prenatal phthalate exposure with preterm birth and placental changes, but this project aims to extend those findings with microRNA signatures.
Where this research is happening
-
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Paquette, Alison Genevieve — Seattle Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Paquette, Alison Genevieve
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.