Associate Professor of Toxicology at the University of Belgrade, Dr. Aleksandra Buha Djordjevic, notes, “I started my scientific work as an experimental toxicologist. I have spent the first 10 years of scientific work in my lab using rats as animal models. Then I soon realized how important it is to communicate this science and make results understandable for the public and make science usable as we are doing the science. I started to work with vulnerable populations, specifically pregnant women, because they can make changes in [their] everyday lifestyle that can bring us to a healthier population.” 

Dr. Buha’s team has successfully developed and initiated a prenatal environmental health education intervention to reduce maternal and infant exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with the help of a 2023 CEHRT grant. “A couple years ago I started this project with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia for an educational campaign targeted toward pregnant women. It was hard to reach the population via social media. Once we received the CEHRT grant, we were able to access the health facilities. It was more impactful to speak directly to pregnant women in this way.”

Major activities included the creation and dissemination of educational materials, the execution of two workshops with 27 pregnant women participating, and the collection of biological samples from participating women. The workshops have engaged pregnant women in discussions on EDC risks and protective measures. Results of the questionnaires from the intervention indicate a positive impact on participants’ awareness and decision-making regarding EDC exposure, with over 85% strongly agreeing to recommend the education to other pregnant women. 

“I believe this was an ideal population to target, because when you are pregnant you are thinking about your child’s future and health. This is also a critical period of fetal development and early childhood in which exposure to EDCs during this period increases the risk for developing health conditions such as neurodevelopmental and thyroid conditions. If our health is the product of our parents’ genetics and environmental exposures, then the only thing that we can change is exposure.”

The project has also identified a lack of adequate knowledge about EDCs among the target population, highlighting the need for further education.

“We conducted a survey among pregnant women and moms asking about perception about environmental health and health behaviors, finding that the information they have is nonexistent, but they want to have access to this information.” 

 In the following period, new interventional groups will be formed, workshops will be conducted, and new samples will be collected. Furthermore, the determination of certain EDCs in collected samples will be performed. Publications and resource-sharing efforts are ongoing, with plans for broader dissemination through scientific journals and community outreach.

Outreach efforts have also included the distribution of educational brochures and the involvement of healthcare professionals to enhance public understanding. These activities have targeted both the general public and specific communities of interest, such as pregnant women and healthcare providers, with the goal of increasing awareness and promoting informed decision-making regarding chemical exposure during pregnancy.

“Belgrade is for some reason becoming one of the most polluted cities in Europe. Due to this, people are starting to care about this problem more. I do believe the education [on environmental health] in the general population is relatively low.”

  To ensure a broader impact, future plans include further outreach and steps to integrate these developed educational programs into prenatal care practices, including a state-issued educational kit provided to new mothers.