Modeled prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in association with child autism spectrum disorder:
Hyeong-Moo Shin1, Deborah H Bennett2, Antonia M Calafat3
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Arlington, TX, USA.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically PFHxS and PFOS, showed a borderline association with increased odds of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis in children. Further research is needed to confirm these findings on PFAS and ASD risk.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Neuroscience
- Toxicology
Background:
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmental contaminants known to exhibit neurobehavioral toxicity in animal models.
- Investigating the potential link between prenatal exposure to PFAS and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between modeled prenatal maternal exposure to various PFAS and the diagnosis of ASD in children.
- To assess the relationship between specific PFAS compounds, including PFHxS and PFOS, and the likelihood of ASD diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the CHARGE (CHildhood Autism Risk from Genetics and Environment) study, a population-based case-control study involving 453 mother-child pairs.
- Modeled prenatal maternal PFAS serum concentrations using external prospective data and quantified nine PFAS in maternal blood samples collected when children were 2-5 years old.
- Employed logistic regression to analyze the association between modeled prenatal PFAS levels and child ASD diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Modeled prenatal exposure to perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) showed a borderline association with increased odds of ASD diagnosis.
- The highest quartile of modeled prenatal PFHxS exposure was associated with nearly double the odds of ASD diagnosis compared to the lowest quartile.
- No significant associations were found for other PFAS compounds examined.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to PFHxS and PFOS, but not other PFAS, was borderline associated with an increased risk of ASD diagnosis.
- Further prospective studies measuring PFAS concentrations in mothers and children across developmental stages are necessary to validate these findings.
- The study highlights the need for continued research into the neurodevelopmental effects of environmental chemical exposures.
Background/Objective:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) display neurobehavioral toxicity in laboratory animal studies. We examined associations of modeled prenatal maternal exposure to PFAS with child diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Methods:
Participants were 453 mother-child pairs from CHARGE (CHildhood Autism Risk from Genetics and Environment), a population-based case-control study. Children underwent psychometric testing and were clinically confirmed for ASD (n = 239) or typical development (TD, n = 214). At the end of the clinic visit, maternal blood specimens were collected. We quantified nine PFAS in maternal serum samples collected when their child was 2-5 years old. As surrogate in utero exposure, we used a model built from external prospective data in pregnancy and 24 months post-partum and then reconstructed maternal PFAS serum concentrations during pregnancy in this case-control sample. We used logistic regression to evaluate associations of modeled prenatal maternal PFAS concentrations with child ASD.
Results:
Modeled prenatal maternal perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were borderline associated with increased odds of child diagnosis of ASD (per nanogram per milliliter increase: odds ratio [OR] = 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.98, 2.18 for PFHxS, OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.08 for PFOS). When compared to the lowest quartile (reference category), the highest quartile of modeled prenatal maternal PFHxS was associated with increased odds of child diagnosis of ASD (OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.02, 3.72).
Conclusions:
In analyses where modeled prenatal maternal PFAS serum concentrations served as in utero exposure, we observed that prenatal PFHxS and PFOS exposure, but not other PFAS, were borderline associated with increased odds of child diagnosis of ASD. Further studies in which PFAS concentrations are prospectively measured in mothers and children at a range of developmental stages are needed to confirm these findings.
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