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Prenatal Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Exposure Is Associated With Lower Infant Birthweight Within the MADRES
Alicia K Peterson1, Sandrah P Eckel1, Rima Habre1
1Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was linked to lower infant birthweights. This highlights potential risks of PFAS chemicals during pregnancy for child development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic chemicals found in many consumer products.
- These chemicals are known to cross the placenta, raising concerns about fetal exposure during pregnancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to specific PFAS compounds and infant birth outcomes.
- To examine these associations in a predominantly urban Hispanic population.
Main Methods:
- Serum concentrations of five PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFDA) were measured in 342 pregnant participants from the MADRES cohort.
- Birth outcomes including birthweight, gestational age, and birthweight for gestational age (BW-for-GA) z-scores were assessed.
- Linear regression models, including single pollutant and multipollutant analyses, were used to evaluate associations, adjusting for various covariates.
Main Results:
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure was significantly associated with lower infant birthweight (average reduction of 119.7 g).
- This association remained significant in sex-specific and parity-specific BW-for-GA z-score models.
- No significant associations were found for other measured PFAS compounds (PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFDA) with the assessed birth outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal PFOA exposure is associated with reduced infant birthweight.
- These findings suggest that exposure to certain PFAS during critical developmental periods may have implications for infant health and development.
Introduction:
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic chemicals found in household products that can cross the placenta during pregnancy. We investigated whether PFAS exposure during pregnancy was associated with infant birth outcomes in a predominantly urban Hispanic population.
Methods:
Serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were measured in 342 prenatal biospecimens (mean gestational age: 21 ± 9 weeks) from participants in the ongoing Maternal And Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) cohort. PFAS compounds were modeled continuously or categorically, depending on the percentage of samples detected. The birth outcomes assessed were birthweight, gestational age at birth, and birthweight for gestational age (BW-for-GA) z-scores that accounted for parity or infant sex. Single pollutant and multipollutant linear regression models were performed to evaluate associations between PFAS exposures and birth outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic, perinatal, and study design covariates.
Results:
Maternal participants (n = 342) were on average 29 ± 6 years old at study entry and were predominantly Hispanic (76%). Infants were born at a mean of 39 ± 2 weeks of gestation and weighed on average 3,278 ± 522 g. PFOS and PFHxS were detected in 100% of the samples while PFNA, PFOA, and PFDA were detected in 70%, 65%, and 57% of the samples, respectively. PFAS levels were generally lower in this cohort than in comparable cohorts. Women with detected levels of PFOA during pregnancy had infants weighing on average 119.7 g less (95% CI -216.7, -22.7) than women with undetected levels of PFOA in adjusted single pollutant models. PFOA results were also statistically significant in BW-for-GA z-score models that were specific for sex or parity. In models that were mutually adjusted for five detected PFAS compounds, PFOA results remained comparable; however, the association was only significant in BW-for-GA z-scores that were specific for parity (β = -0.3; 95% CI -0.6, -0.01). We found no significant adjusted associations with the remaining PFAS concentrations and the birth outcomes assessed.
Conclusion:
Prenatal exposure to PFOA was associated with lower birthweight in infants, suggesting that exposure to these chemicals during critical periods of development might have important implications for children's health.
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