Nausea is the most common symptom pregnant women experience. Although nausea symptoms typically subside by the first trimester, many women continue to experience symptoms later into pregnancy, with possible impacts on women’s quality of life and future health. While the exact mechanisms are unknown, hormonal changes during pregnancy have been implicated as plausible causes of symptoms. Nearly all pregnant women are exposed to known hormone (endocrine) disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including phthalates, phenols, and their novel replacements from common consumer products, including food packaging/processing materials, personal care products, and various cleaning products. These chemicals are linked to other pregnancy complications, but no studies have assessed whether exposure to these EDCs is related to nausea symptoms. Furthermore, most prior studies focusing on maternal and perinatal health have investigated single chemicals, but pregnant women are exposed to a myriad of chemicals simultaneously. Thus, to better understand the relationship of EDC exposure with health outcomes, chemicals need to be considered jointly. Therefore, our research was designed to understand the relationships between EDCs, gestational hormones, and nausea during pregnancy by utilizing information collected in the Illinois Kids Development Study. Specifically, we evaluated associations of EDC mixtures with persistent nausea during pregnancy (Chapter Two), assessed relationships of EDC mixtures with mid-pregnancy sex-steroid and thyroid hormones (Chapter Three), and identified hormonal predictors of persistent nausea (Chapter Four). To address limitations in prior studies, we assessed persistent nausea rather than typical nausea and used various statistical mixture methods to consider exposures to many EDCs jointly, including several newer replacements. Findings from this dissertation have the potential to identify modifiable contributors to persistent nausea during pregnancy that could be targeted through targeted lifestyle interventions, including reducing the use of consumer products that contain phthalates and phenols.
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