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Published on: March 6, 2018
Prenatal exposures to perfluorinated chemicals and anthropometry at 7 years of age
Insights
Prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) did not significantly impact children's growth. Maternal plasma levels of these chemicals showed no lasting influence on body mass index or overweight risk at age seven.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- Fetal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically PFOS and PFOA, is linked to reduced birth weight and early infancy weight.
- The long-term effects of prenatal PFOS and PFOA exposure on childhood growth remain uncertain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal plasma concentrations of PFOS and PFOA during pregnancy and children's anthropometric measurements at age 7.
- To determine if prenatal exposure to PFOS and PFOA influences children's body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and risk of being overweight.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Danish National Birth Cohort, including 1,400 pregnant women with early pregnancy blood samples.
- Assessed weight and height data for 811 children at 7 years of age.
- Employed multiple linear and logistic regression models to analyze the relationship between maternal PFAS levels and child anthropometry.
Main Results:
- Maternal PFOS and PFOA plasma concentrations were inversely associated with children's BMI, waist circumference, and risk of overweight at age 7.
- These associations were not statistically significant, indicating no clear impact.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to PFOS and PFOA, as measured by maternal plasma levels, did not demonstrate a significant lasting influence on children's anthropometry at age 7.
- The study suggests that current levels of PFOS and PFOA exposure in pregnancy may not have a substantial effect on childhood growth parameters at this developmental stage.
Abstract:
Fetal exposure to the perfluoroalkyl acids, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), has been associated with lower birth weight and lower weight and body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) in early infancy. It is, however, unclear if exposure to prenatal PFOS and PFOA has a lasting influence on growth. We estimated the associations between the maternal plasma level of PFOS or PFOA and the children's body mass index, waist circumference, and risk of overweight at 7 years of age. A total of 1,400 women were randomly selected from the Danish National Birth Cohort among those who provided blood samples early in pregnancy and gave birth to liveborn singletons in 1996-2002. Weight and height information at 7 years was available for 811 children. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used for analyses. Maternal PFOS and PFOA concentrations were overall inversely but nonsignificantly associated with the children's body mass index, waist circumference, and risk of overweight at 7 years of age. In conclusion, plasma levels of PFOS and PFOA in pregnant women did not seem to have any appreciable influence on their children's anthropometry at this point in childhood.
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