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PFAS Across the Placenta and Its Potential Impact on Glucose Imbalance and Infant Growth

Rongrong Xuan1, Jialin Li1, Yanqiu Feng2,3,4

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo 315010, China.

Environmental Science & Technology
|March 16, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) cross the placenta, impacting neonatal growth and development. Maternal glucose regulation plays a key role in mediating these harmful effects, highlighting the need for PFAS regulation.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Toxicology
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent environmental pollutants.
  • PFASs are known to cross the placental barrier, but their transfer dynamics and effects on fetal development are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify PFAS levels in maternal and cord serum and placental tissues.
  • To assess PFAS transfer efficiencies across the maternal-fetal interface.
  • To investigate the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and neonatal growth, 12-month development, and maternal glucose regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Quantification of 16 PFASs in maternal serum, cord serum, and placental tissues from 102 mother-infant pairs.
  • Calculation of PFAS transfer efficiencies from mother to fetus.
  • Mediation analysis to evaluate the role of maternal glucose regulation in linking PFAS exposure to growth outcomes.

Main Results:

  • All 16 PFASs were detected, with significant concentrations found in maternal serum, cord serum, and placental tissues.
  • High transfer efficiencies of PFASs from mother to fetus were observed, with some exceeding 100%.
  • Prenatal PFAS exposure was associated with elevated glucose levels and reduced postnatal growth, with maternal glucose mediating a significant portion of this effect.

Conclusions:

  • PFAS exposure during pregnancy poses risks to fetal development, potentially through pathways involving glucose dysregulation.
  • Comprehensive analysis of matched biospecimens provides crucial insights into PFAS transport across the placenta.
  • Findings underscore the necessity for stricter PFAS regulation and monitoring of metabolic health in infants exposed prenatally.

Keywords:
PFASfetal exposureglucose metabolismmaternal transferpregnancy

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