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Prenatal concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl substances and early communication development in British girls
Zuha Jeddy1, Terryl J Hartman2, Ethel V Taylor3
1Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA, USA; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) impacts early communication development in girls. Maternal PFAS concentrations were linked to varied communication outcomes, particularly in daughters of younger mothers.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine disrupting chemicals found in consumer products.
- Intrauterine exposure to PFAS is linked to developmental deficits in offspring.
- PFAS can cross the placental barrier, exposing the fetus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to specific PFAS and early communication development in girls.
- To examine how maternal age at delivery modifies the relationship between PFAS exposure and child communication skills.
- To analyze communication development at 15 and 38 months of age.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) involving 432 mother-daughter dyads.
- Measured maternal serum concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) during pregnancy.
- Assessed early communication development using adapted MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories, measuring verbal comprehension, vocabulary, nonverbal communication, language, and intelligibility.
Main Results:
- Maternal PFAS concentrations showed varied associations with girls' communication development at 15 and 38 months.
- In daughters of younger mothers (<25 years), higher PFOS levels were associated with lower vocabulary scores at 15 months and lower language scores at 38 months.
- The pattern of association between PFAS exposure and communication development was inconsistent across different PFAS chemicals and developmental endpoints.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to certain PFAS can influence early communication development in girls.
- Maternal age is a significant factor modifying the impact of PFAS on child communication.
- Further research is needed to understand the complex, chemical-specific effects of PFAS on neurodevelopment.
Abstract:
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), found in many household products and classed as endocrine disrupting chemicals, can be transferred through the placenta and are associated with multiple developmental deficits in offspring. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we investigated the association between intrauterine exposure to PFAS and early communication development in 432 mother-daughter dyads at 15 and 38months of age. Concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) were measured in maternal serum collected during pregnancy. Early communication development was measured with the ALSPAC-adapted MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories for Infants and Toddlers. The infant questionnaire measured verbal comprehension, vocabulary comprehension and production, nonverbal communication, and social development. The toddler questionnaire measured language, intelligibility, and communicative sub-scores. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations between each PFAS exposure and each communication sub-scale score. The association between maternal PFAS concentrations and early communication development at 15 and 38months of age varied by maternal age at delivery. In daughters of younger mothers (<25years of age), every 1ng/mL of PFOS was associated with a 3.82 point (95% confidence interval (CI): -6.18, -1.47) lower vocabulary score at 15months and a 0.80 point (95% CI: -1.74, 0.14) lower language score at 38months. Prenatal exposure to select PFAS was positively and negatively associated with communication development among girls, with inconsistent pattern of association across all measured PFAS and endpoints.