An IBS.GRANADA research project is seeking pregnant women to investigate the impact of chemical substances on maternal and child health.
The research is part of the European HYPIEND project, and includes the participation of professionals from the San Cecilio Clinical University Hospital (HUCSC), the ibs.GRANADA and the University of Granada (UGR).
The Granada Biosanitary Research Institute (ibs.GRANADA), together with the HUCSC and the UGR, is participating in HYPIEND, an ambitious European project that seeks to understand and reduce the impact of endocrine disruptors during pregnancy and early childhood. Since last March, the Obstetrics clinics at the San Cecilio University Clinical Hospital have been recruiting pregnant women willing to participate in this clinical trial, which will be conducted in several European countries.
Patient recruitment at the Granada hospital is expected to end in January 2026. However, the study plans to continue monitoring the women until delivery and their babies' lives are one and a half years old.
Researcher Carmen Freire, a member of the ibs.GRANADA Biosanitary Research Institute, in collaboration with professionals from the San Cecilio Clinical Hospital and also members of ibs.GRANADA, such as gynecologist Olga Ocón Hernández, are leading the hospital's participation in this project, which focuses on analyzing the effect of so-called endocrine disruptors on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, a key system for hormonal balance.
The study is part of one of the first European investigations to examine exposure to endocrine disruptors from a comprehensive perspective, combining preclinical models and clinical studies with pregnant and lactating women and children aged 6 to 8 years. The participating women and their infants will be followed until they are 18 months old, with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of reducing exposure to endocrine disruptors and analyzing the impact of this reduction on child development and health.
The HYPIEND project has been funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe program, with a €475.000 allocation to the University of Granada (UGR). Entities from Spain, Belgium, and Poland are collaborating on the project, and its results are expected to help design more effective public policies, improve public health, protect ecosystems, and raise public awareness about the risks of these chemicals.
Endocrine disruptors
Endocrine disruptors are compounds that can interfere with the hormonal system and are present in numerous everyday products: plastics, food packaging, cosmetics, cleaning products, clothing, furniture, and pesticides. Exposure to them, especially during key developmental stages such as pregnancy or childhood, is associated with hormonal disruptions, neurodevelopmental problems, and other chronic conditions.
In addition to the San Cecilio Clinic, the project involves researchers from the University of Granada and IBS.Granada, belonging to several research groups. Specifically: Fernando Vela Soria, Nicolás Olea Serrano, Juan Pedro Arrebola, Inmaculada Salcedo, and Carmen Amezcua Prieto.
Participation in this study is voluntary, and pregnant women interested in participating can receive more information through the website: https://hypiend.eu/españa/ or by contacting 685425663 (from 9 a.m. to 15 p.m.) or by email: hypiend.granada@gmail.com.
