PFAS exposure during pregnancy is associated with childhood obesity risk

A new study confirms that the risk of exposure to ‘eternal chemicals’ begins before birth.

Exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy was associated with a modest increase in BMI and an increased risk of obesity in children, according to a new study.

This association had been suggested in previous studies, but the data were inconclusive. The new study includes a much broader dataset from laboratories across the country, said lead author Yun “Jamie” Liu, a postdoctoral fellow in epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. .

“The results are based on eight study cohorts in different regions and different demographics in the United States,” Liu said. “This will allow our findings to be more generalizable to the population as a whole.”

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Environmental Impacts on Children’s Health program. ECHO is a national research program aimed at understanding the impact of a wide range of early environmental influences on children’s health and development.

This research Perspective of environmental hygieneused data collected over 20 years from 1,391 children aged 2 to 5 years and their mothers. They were registered at his ECHO research facilities in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Hampshire, Georgia, and New York.

Thousands of individual PFASs are used in oil and water repellent textiles, personal care products, fire extinguishing agents, food packaging, medical products and many other products. Household goods.

Toxic PFAS has become known as the “forever chemical” because it is so durable that it is believed to persist in the environment for thousands of years.

Researchers analyzed levels of seven PFASs in blood samples taken from mothers during pregnancy. We then calculated a body mass index, an approximate measure of each child’s body fat.

Researchers found that higher levels of PFAS in the blood of pregnant mothers were associated with slightly higher BMI. An increased risk of obesity was seen in male and female children alike.

The researchers observed these associations even at low concentrations. Exposure to PFASsays lead author Joseph Brown. He is Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Brown School of Public Health. His exposure to PFAS has changed over time, with some manufacturers voluntarily phasing out PFAS use in response to concerns about related health effects and environmental persistence. He said this is important to keep in mind because the

“The fact that these associations are found at relatively low levels in the modern population suggests that even with reduced use of PFAS in products, today’s pregnant people are still at risk of harm. It suggests that it is possible,” Brown said. “According to our findings, this means that their children may also be at risk of adverse health effects associated with PFAS.”

Over the past decade, Brown has been involved in multiple studies on the effects of PFAS on children’s health. This kind of data could help inform and influence environmental policy and safety guidelines, he says.

“There continues to be interest in understanding the effects of low-level PFAS exposure on children’s health,” says Brown. “Research like this will help researchers and policy makers better understand the risks of PFAS and take effective action to protect vulnerable populations.”

Future studies will explore associations between maternal PFAS exposure and obesity-related health outcomes in older children and ultimately in teens and adults, Liu said.

The ECHO Program, the National Institute of Environmental Health, and the National Institute of General Medicine funded this research.

sauce: brown university