Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children: A prospective cohort study
Fei Luo1, Qian Chen2, Guoqi Yu2
1Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai 200092, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 227 South Chongqing Road, Shanghai 200052, China.
Insights
In utero exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is linked to adverse neurodevelopment in children. This study found prenatal PFAS exposure negatively impacted cognitive and language skills by age two.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Neuroscience
- Toxicology
Background:
- Humans face widespread exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
- Fetal development is a critical period for neurodevelopment.
- Previous research on prenatal PFAS exposure and neurodevelopment is limited and inconsistent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes at age two.
- To analyze the impact of individual PFAS and PFAS mixtures on child neurodevelopment.
Main Methods:
- Maternal plasma samples from 2257 mother-child pairs in the Shanghai Birth Cohort Study were analyzed for 10 PFAS.
- Child neurodevelopment was assessed at age two using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (BSID-III).
- Statistical analyses included multiple linear regression, logistic regression, and quantile-based g-computation for mixture effects.
Main Results:
- Specific PFAS, including PFOS, PFNA, PFDeA, and PFUnDA, were negatively associated with cognitive scores.
- PFNA, PFDeA, PFUnDA, and PFHxS showed negative associations with language scores.
- The PFAS mixture was significantly associated with decreased cognitive and language scores and increased odds of low cognitive and language scores.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to PFAS is significantly associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.
- These findings highlight a serious public health concern regarding PFAS contamination.
- Further research and public health interventions are warranted to mitigate PFAS exposure risks.
Background:
Humans are widely exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). As fetal stage is a critical window for neurodevelopment, it is important to know if in utero exposure to PFAS affects fetal neurodevelopment. However, previous human studies are both limited and inconsistent.
Objectives:
To investigate the relationship between PFAS exposure during early pregnancy and the neurodevelopmental status at 2 years of age in a prospective cohort study.
Methods:
We measured 10 PFAS in maternal plasma samples collected prior to 16 weeks of gestation in the Shanghai Birth Cohort Study between 2013 and 2016. Childhood neurodevelopment was assessed at 2 years of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (BSID-III). Associations with domain specific scores for individual PFAS were assessed by multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression when scores were dichotomized. Quantile-based g-computation was used to estimate the joint effects of PFAS mixture.
Results:
A total of 2257 mother-child pairs who had both PFAS and BSID measurements were included in our analyses. The means and standard deviations of comprehensive scores were 115 ± 22, 96 ± 15 and 108 ± 15 for cognition, language, and motor, respectively. In multiple linear regressions, we observed significant negative associations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) with cognitive scores; PFNA, PFDeA, PFUnDA and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) negatively with language scores; and PFNA and PFUnDA negatively with motor scores. Quantile-based g-computation showed that PFAS mixture was significantly associated with decreased cognitive and language scores, with an estimated β of -2.1 [95% confidence interval (CI): -3.5, -0.7)] and -2.0 (95% CI: -2.9, -1.0) per one quartile increase in PFAS mixture for cognitive and language domains, respectively. PFAS mixture was associated with increased odds of low cognition (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.3, 95% CI:1.0, 1.6) and language scores (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.3).
Conclusions:
PFAS exposure during early pregnancy was significantly associated with the adverse neurodevelopmental status at 2 years of age, which raises a serious public health concern.
Related Concept Videos
01:36Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....