Perfluoroalkyl substances exposure in early pregnancy and preterm birth in singleton pregnancies: a prospective
Xiaona Huo1, Lin Zhang2, Rong Huang1
1MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
Insights
This study found no significant link between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and preterm birth (PTB) in singleton live births. Maternal PFAS levels in early pregnancy did not affect gestational length or the risk of PTB.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Reproductive Epidemiology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Preterm birth (PTB) is a major global health concern.
- Existing evidence on the association between perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and PTB is limited and inconsistent.
- Further research is needed to clarify the impact of prenatal PFAS exposure on pregnancy outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal plasma concentrations of ten PFAS and PTB in singleton live births.
- To examine the relationship between prenatal PFAS exposure and gestational length.
- To assess the risk of spontaneous and clinically indicated PTB in relation to PFAS exposure.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study of 2849 mother-infant pairs in the Shanghai Birth Cohort (2013-2016).
- Measurement of ten PFAS in maternal plasma during early pregnancy (median 15 weeks gestation).
- Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze associations with gestational length and PTB outcomes.
Main Results:
- The incidence of overall PTB was 4.8% in the study population.
- No significant associations were found between maternal PFAS levels and gestational length after adjusting for confounders.
- No significant associations were observed between PFAS exposure and overall, spontaneous, or indicated PTB.
Conclusions:
- This prospective cohort study did not find significant associations between maternal plasma PFAS concentrations in early pregnancy and gestational length or PTB.
- The findings suggest that prenatal exposure to the studied PFAS may not be a significant risk factor for PTB in this population.
- Further research with larger cohorts and diverse populations may be warranted to confirm these findings.
Background:
Preterm birth (PTB, < 37 completed weeks' gestation) is one of the global public health concerns. Epidemiologic evidence on the potential impact of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on PTB is still limited and inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and PTB among singleton live births.
Methods:
We studied 2849 mother-infant pairs in the Shanghai Birth Cohort (SBC) from 2013 to 2016. Ten PFAS in maternal plasma in early pregnancy (gestational age, median (interquartile range): 15 (13-16) weeks) were measured. Primary outcomes were duration of gestation, PTB, spontaneous PTB and clinically indicated PTB. A linear regression model was used to assess the associations between ln-transformed PFAS and duration of gestation (in weeks). Logistic regression models were applied to estimate the relative risks of these outcomes.
Results:
The incidence of overall PTB was 4.8% (95% confidence limit: 4.0-5.6%, n = 136) in this study population. In the linear regression analyses, PFAS were not associated with the duration of gestation after controlling for potential confounders. In the multiple logistic models, no significant associations were observed between PFAS and overall PTB, spontaneous or indicated PTB.
Conclusion:
In this prospective cohort study, we did not observe significant associations between maternal plasma PFAS concentrations in early pregnancy and gestational length, overall PTB, spontaneous or indicated PTB.
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