Triclosan and triclocarban exposure and thyroid function during pregnancy-A randomized intervention

Triclosan and triclocarban (TCs) are broad-spectrum microbicides found in household and personal wash products. We sought to determine whether TC exposure from wash products or urinary triclosan level modified thyroid function during pregnancy or anthropometric measurements at birth. A randomized intervention of wash products with or without TCs, including toothpaste, enrolled pregnant women from 20 weeks' gestation. Urinary triclosan, TSH, T4 and T3 were assessed at enrollment, 36 weeks' gestation and/or post-delivery; anthropometric measures at birth were ascertained from medical records. 78 and 76 mothers were assigned to the TC-containing and no-TC-containing product arms, respectively. No differences were observed in any thyroid function measure at any time point or in any anthropometric measurement at birth between either exposure arms or lowest and highest urinary triclosan quartile groups. TCs from wash products, primarily liquid and bar soaps, did not affect thyroid function measures during pregnancy or babies' anthropometric measures at delivery.