Behavior from early childhood through adolescence

What the study says

Plain-English summary

The Generation R team used repeated pregnancy urine samples, a childhood sample around age six, and behavioral reports collected repeatedly through age fourteen.

Across the full group, prenatal and childhood phthalate and bisphenol measures were generally not associated with behavioral problems over time.

Some associations differed by sex or exposure measure. Those selected findings are better treated as hypotheses than as a settled pattern.

Why it matters

Context

Long follow-up and repeated outcome measures are strengths. Publishing mostly null findings also helps keep the broader evidence base from becoming distorted toward alarming results.

What it cannot prove

Limitations

The study remained observational, included many statistical comparisons, and lost participants over time. A one-time childhood urine sample can also be a noisy measure of chemicals that clear quickly.

Proportionate next steps

Practical actions

• Keep exposure reduction proportionate to the evidence rather than using behavioral outcomes to justify fear.
• Prefer changes that are easy, affordable, and useful for other reasons too.
• Read sex-specific findings as provisional until they repeat in other cohorts.

Read it yourself

Original source

Prenatal and childhood exposure to phthalates and bisphenols in relation to behavioral development from early childhood to adolescence

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181869