Rajeshwari Sundaram

BackgroundPerfluoroalkyl substances have been associated with changes in menstrual cycle characteristics and fecundity, when modeled separately. However, these outcomes are biologically related, and we evaluate their joint association with …

BackgroundHuman exposure to parabens and other antimicrobial chemicals is continual and pervasive. The hormone-disrupting properties of these environmental chemicals may adversely affect human reproduction.ObjectiveWe aimed to prospectively…

ObjectiveTo identify associations between fertility treatment use (assisted reproductive technologies, ovulation induction, and artificial insemination) and subsequent infant feeding practices.DesignThe Upstate KIDS population-based cohort …

Published findings from the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study regarding the relation between environmental chemicals and couple fecundity, as measured by time-to-pregnancy (TTP), are reviewed with a pa…

Equivocal findings are reported for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and self-reported pregnancy loss. We prospectively assessed PFASs and pregnancy loss in a cohort comprising 501 couples recruited preconception and fo…

BackgroundWhile several studies have shown an association between environmental pollutants and diabetes among non-pregnant adults, few studies have prospectively assessed the association among pregnant women. We estimated the association be…

Study questionWhat is the relationship between signs and symptoms of early pregnancy and pregnancy loss <20 weeks' gestation?Summary answerVaginal bleeding is associated with increased incidence of early pregnancy loss, with more severe ble…

IntroductionPrevious studies suggest female smoking increases time-to-pregnancy (TTP), a couple-dependent reproductive outcome, while associations with male smoking are more ambiguous. Furthermore, despite small increases in smokeless tobac…

Concern has arisen about benzophenone (BP) ultraviolet (UV) radiation filters, given their use in sunscreen and personal-care products and their reported estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity. We recruited 501 couples who were discontinuin…

Endometriosis, ectopic growth of the uterine lining (endometrium), which affects 6-11% of reproductive age women, is associated with pelvic pain and infertility. We investigated the peritoneal fluid (PF), urine and omental fat (OF) proteome…

ObjectiveTo explore the relation between bisphenol A and 14 phthalate metabolites and endometriosis.DesignMatched cohort design.SettingFourteen clinical centers.Patient(s)The operative cohort comprised 495 women undergoing laparoscopy/lapar…

ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of infertility using a current duration approach for comparison with a traditional constructed measure.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingNot applicable.Patient(s)A nationally representative sample of fe…

Understanding the mechanisms that underlie successful human reproduction and development is an ambitious goal, given the many unique methodological challenges surrounding such study. These challenges are well understood by reproductive and …

There has been limited study of trace elements and endometriosis. Using a matched cohort design, 473 women aged 18-44 years were recruited into an operative cohort, along with 131 similarly aged women recruited into a population cohort. End…

BackgroundObesity is a growing public health problem among reproductive-aged women, with consequences for chronic disease risk and reproductive and obstetric morbidities. Evidence also suggests that body shape (i.e., regional fat distributi…

ObjectiveTo assess in utero exposures and the odds of an endometriosis diagnosis.DesignMatched cohort design.SettingFourteen participating clinical centers in geographically defined areas in Utah and California.Patient(s)Operative cohort co…

BACKGROUND: Environmental chemicals may be associated with endometriosis. No published research has focused on the possible role of perfluorochemicals (PFCs) despite their widespread presence in human tissues. METHODS: We formulated two sam…

BACKGROUND: An equivocal literature exists regarding the relation between persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) and endometriosis in women, with differences attributed to methodologies. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the association between …

Benzophenone (BP)-type UV filters are widely used in a variety of personal care products for the protection of skin and hair from UV irradiation. Despite the estrogenic potencies of BP derivatives, few studies have examined the occurrence o…

ObjectiveTo estimate the incidence of endometriosis in an operative cohort of women seeking clinical care and in a matched population cohort to delineate more fully the scope and magnitude of endometriosis in the context of and beyond clini…

Background and Aims: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been associated with endometriosis, though with equivocal results possibly reflecting choice of biospecimen. We sought to assess this ...

An evolving body of evidence suggests an adverse relation between persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) and menstruation, though prospective longitudinal measurement of menses is limited and served as the impetus for study. We prospec…

MikolajczykPrevious research has described variability in menstrual cycle lengths within and across women, though less attention has focused on characterising patterns of bleeding. While clinical definitions for menstrual bleeding are often…