The association between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and childhood neurodevelopment.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Spratlen MJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7362877 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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The association between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and childhood neurodevelopment.
Spratlen Miranda J MJ Perera Frederica P FP Lederman Sally Ann SA Rauh Virginia A VA Robinson Morgan M Kannan Kurunthachalam K Trasande Leonardo L Herbstman Julie J
Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) 20200326 Pt B
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were among various persistent organic pollutants suspected to have been released during the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 9/11. Evidence on the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and child neurodevelopment is limited and inconsistent. This study evaluated the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and child cognitive outcomes measured at 5 different time points in a population prenatally exposed to the WTC disaster. The study population ...[more]
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Project description:Few studies have examined whether prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is associated with childhood adiposity.We examined associations of prenatal exposure to PFASs with adiposity in early and mid-childhood.We measured plasma PFAS concentrations in 1,645 pregnant women (median, 9.6 weeks gestation) enrolled in Project Viva, a prospective pre-birth cohort study in Massachusetts (USA), between 1999 and 2002. We assessed overall and central adiposity in 1,006 children in early childhood (median, 3.2 years) and 876 in mid-childhood (median, 7.7 years) using anthropometric and dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements. We fitted multivariable linear regression models to estimate exposure-outcome associations and evaluated effect modification by child sex.Median (25-75th percentiles) prenatal plasma perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) concentrations in children assessed in early childhood were 5.6 (4.1-7.7), 24.8 (18.4-33.9), 2.4 (1.6-3.8), and 0.6 (0.5-0.9) ng/mL, respectively. Among girls, each interquartile range increment of prenatal PFOA concentrations was associated with 0.21 kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.05, 0.48) higher body mass index, 0.76 mm (95% CI: -0.17, 1.70) higher sum of subscapular and triceps skinfold thickness, and 0.17 kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.02, 0.36) higher DXA total fat mass index in mid-childhood. Similar associations were observed for PFOS, PFHxS, and PFNA. We observed null associations for boys and early-childhood adiposity measures.In this cohort, prenatal exposure to PFASs was associated with small increases in adiposity measurements in mid-childhood, but only among girls. Citation: Mora AM, Oken E, Rifas-Shiman SL, Webster TF, Gillman MW, Calafat AM, Ye X, Sagiv SK. 2017. Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and adiposity in early and mid-childhood. Environ Health Perspect 125:467-473;?http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP246.
| S-EPMC5332178 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundPerfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are suggested to interfere with thyroid hormone during pregnancy and influence fetal neurodevelopment. Epidemiological evidence regarding behavioral difficulties in childhood associated with prenatal PFAS exposure has been inconclusive.ObjectiveWe evaluated the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and behavioral difficulties at 7 and 11 years, and investigated the potential mediating role of maternal thyroid hormones.MethodsUsing pooled samples in the Danish National Birth Cohort established between 1996 and 2002, we estimated the associations between concentrations of six types of PFAS in maternal plasma (median, 8 gestational weeks) and child behavioral assessments from the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), reported by parents at 7 years (n = 2421), and by parents (n = 2070) and children at 11 years (n = 2071). Behavioral difficulties were defined as having a composite SDQ score above the 90th percentile for total difficulties and externalizing or internalizing behaviors. We used logistic regression to estimate the adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) by doubling increase of prenatal PFAS (ng/ml). The possible mediating effect of maternal thyroid function classified based on thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels were evaluated.ResultsPrenatal perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) was consistently associated with total and externalizing behavioral difficulties in all three SDQ measures reported by parents (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.14-1.73 for age 7; OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.05-1.53 for age 11) or children (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.11-1.58) while no consistent associations were observed for other types of PFAS. A small magnitude of natural indirect effects via maternal thyroid dysfunction (ORs ranged from 1.01 to 1.03) of several PFAS were observed for parent-reported total and externalizing behaviors at 7 years only.DiscussionPrenatal PFNA exposure was associated with externalizing behavioral difficulties in childhood in repeated SDQ measures at 7 and 11 years. The slight mediating effects of maternal thyroid hormones in early gestation warrant further evaluation.
| S-EPMC7657987 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been reported to suppress immune function. However, previous studies on prenatal exposure to PFASs and allergic disorders in offspring provided inconsistent results. We aimed to examine the association between prenatal exposure to PFASs and childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) in offspring up to 24 months of age. METHODS:A prospective birth cohort study involving 1056 pregnant women was conducted in two hospitals in Shanghai from 2012 to 2015. Prenatal information was collected by an interview with the women and from medical records. Fetal umbilical cord blood was collected at birth. Cord blood plasma PFASs were measured. Children were followed at 6, 12 and 24 months and information on the development of AD was recorded. AD was diagnosed by 2 dermatologists independently based on the questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression was used to compute odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between AD and each PFASs, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS:A total of 687 children completed a 2-year follow-up visit and had PFASs measurement. AD was diagnosed in 173 (25.2%) children during the first 24 months. In female children, a log-unit increase in perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was associated with a 2.1-fold increase in AD risk (AOR 2.07, 95% CI 1.13-3.80) after adjusting for potential confounders. The corresponding risk was 2.22 (1.07-4.58) for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). The highest PFOA quartile was significantly associated with AD (2.52, 1.12-5.68) compared with the lowest quartile. The highest quartile of PFNA, perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) were associated with AD with AOR (95% CI) being 2.14 (0.97-4.74), 2.14 (1.00-4.57), and 2.30 (1.03-5.15), respectively. Additionally, the second quartile of perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) was associated with a 3.2-fold increase in AD risk (3.24, 1.44-7.27). However, no significant associations were found in male children. CONCLUSIONS:Prenatal exposure to PFOA, PFDA, PFDoA and PFHxS significantly increased the risk of childhood AD in female children during the first 24 months of life. In addition, the associations between AD with prenatal exposure to PFNA were close to statistical significance.
| S-EPMC5773146 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveGestational perfluoroalkyl substances exposure has been associated with decreased birthweight. We determined if gestational perfluoroalkyl substances exposure was associated with fetal metabolic markers using data from the HOME Study, a prospective birth cohort of pregnant women and their children in Cincinnati, Ohio.MethodsMaternal serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid, and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid were quantified. We measured neonatal adipocytokine (leptin and adiponectin) concentrations in umbilical cord serum, and estimated percent differences with a 2-fold increase in maternal perfluoroalkyl substances concentrations among 230 mother-infant pairs.ResultsMedian maternal serum PFOA and PFOS concentrations were 5.6 ng/mL and 14 ng/mL, respectively. Leptin was positively correlated with infant birthweight (p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant associations between maternal perfluoroalkyl substances and neonatal adipocytokine concentrations; each 2-fold increase in PFOA was associated with a non-significant increase in leptin (5%; 95% CI: -10, 22) and adiponectin (7%; 95% CI: -4, 19).ConclusionDespite known associations with reduced birthweight, gestational serum perfluoroalkyl substances concentrations were not associated with neonatal adipocytokine concentrations. Further exploration of pathways of perfluoroalkyl substances associated changes in birthweight may help identify biomarkers that could be used to identify at-risk populations and develop interventions.
| S-EPMC6933943 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPerfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in surface coatings that resist stains, grease, and water.MethodsThe association between in utero PFAS exposure and girls' body fatness at age 9 was analyzed in The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (UK). Maternal serum [median 15 weeks: interquartile range (IQR) 10 and 28 weeks of gestation] was analyzed for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA). Body composition was measured by dual X-ray emission absorptiometry, and percent total body fat (%BF) was calculated. Associations between PFASs and body fatness were modeled by multivariable linear regression.ResultsAmong 359 girls, median (IQR) %BF was 27.5 (IQR 21.7-34.6). Median (IQR) concentrations (all ng/mL) were 3.7 (2.9-4.8) for PFOA, 19.8 (15.0-25.3) for PFOS, 1.6 (1.3-2.2) for PFHxS, and 0.5 (0.4-0.7) for PFNA. Maternal PFAS concentrations were not significantly associated with daughters' total %BF overall. Mothers' educational status modified associations for PFOA and PFOS with %BF (P-interactions: 0.005 and 0.02, respectively). %BF was higher [1.4%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.3 to 2.5] for each one unit (ng/mL) higher PFOA among girls with mothers in the middle education group, but lower (-0.6%; 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.04) for the corresponding comparison among girls with mothers with the highest education. %BF was lower (-0.2%; 95% CI: -0.3 to -0.1) for each one unit higher PFOS among girls with the most educated mothers.ConclusionsPrenatal exposure to PFOA and PFOS was associated with girls' %BF within some strata of maternal education status. PFHxS and PFNA were not associated with %BF.
| S-EPMC5444423 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAsthma is the most common non-communicable disease in children. Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), a group of persistent environmental chemicals with endocrine disrupting abilities, has been associated with immunomodulation and may contribute to the aetiology of asthma. We investigated the associations between prenatal exposure to five PFASs and asthma in 5-year-old children.MethodsWe studied 981 mother-child pairs within the Odense Child Cohort (OCC), Denmark. We measured perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) in maternal serum donated in early pregnancy. A standardized questionnaire based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was used to assess wheeze, self-reported asthma and doctor-diagnosed asthma among children at age 5 years. Associations were examined using logistic regression analyses adjusting for parity, maternal educational level, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, asthma predisposition and child sex.ResultsAmong the 5-year-old children 18.6% reported wheeze and 7.1% reported asthma. We found no association between prenatal exposure to PFAS and doctor-diagnosed asthma or wheeze. Prenatal PFAS exposure was associated with self-reported asthma, although only significant for PFNA (OR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.03,3.23).ConclusionOur findings support the suggested immunomodulatory effects of PFASs, however, additional studies are warranted. In order to verify our findings, it is important to re-examine the children with postnatal measurements of serum PFAS concentrations and additional clinical diagnostic testing at an older age where an asthma diagnosis is more valid.
| S-EPMC6858758 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPoly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous and persistent environmental contaminants that may act as endocrine disruptors in utero, but the specific endocrine pathways are unknown.ObjectiveWe examined associations between maternal serum PFAS and sex steroid hormones at three time points during pregnancy.MethodsPregnant women participating in the Understanding Pregnancy Signals and Infant Development (UPSIDE) study contributed biospecimens, questionnaire, and medical record data in each trimester (n = 285). PFAS (including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)) were analyzed in second-trimester serum samples by high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Total testosterone [TT], free testosterone [fT], estrone [E1], estradiol [E2], and estriol [E3]) were measured by LC-MS/MS in serum samples from each trimester. Linear mixed models with random intercepts were used to examine associations between log-transformed PFAS concentrations and hormone levels, adjusting for covariates, and stratifying by fetal sex. Results are presented as the mean percentage difference (Δ%) in hormone levels per ln-unit increase in PFAS concentration.ResultsIn adjusted models, PFHxS was associated with higher TT (%Δ = 20.0, 95%CI: 1.7, 41.6), particularly among women carrying male fetuses (%Δ = 15.3, 95%CI: 1.2, 30.7); this association strengthened as the pregnancy progressed. PFNA (%Δ = 7.9, 95%CI: 3.4, 12.5) and PFDA (%Δ = 7.2, 95%CI: 4.9, 9.7) were associated with higher fT, with associations again observed only in women carrying male fetuses. PFHxS was associated with higher levels of E2 and E3 in women carrying female fetuses (%Δ = 13.2, 95%CI: 0.5, 29.1; %Δ = 17.9, 95%CI: 3.2, 34.8, respectively). No associations were observed for PFOS and PFOA.ConclusionPFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA may disrupt androgenic and estrogenic pathways in pregnancy in a sex-dependent manner.
| S-EPMC9977559 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPerfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic chemicals that may persist in the environment and in humans. There is a possible association between early-life PFAS exposure and metabolic dysfunction in later life, but data are limited.MethodsWe studied 665 mother-child pairs in Project Viva, a Boston, Massachusetts-area cohort recruited 1999-2002. We quantified concentrations of PFASs [perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorodecanoate (PFDeA)] in maternal plasma collected at the first prenatal visit (median, 9.6 weeks gestation) and in child plasma from the mid-childhood research visit (median, 7.7 years). We assessed leptin, adiponectin, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in mid-childhood. We fit covariate-adjusted linear regression models and conducted stratified analyses by child sex.ResultsChildren with higher PFAS concentrations had lower HOMA-IR [e.g., -10.1% (95% CI: -17.3, -2.3) per interquartile range increment in PFOA]. This inverse association between child PFAS and HOMA-IR was more pronounced in females [e.g., PFOA: -15.6% (95% CI: -25.4, -4.6) vs. -6.1% (95% CI: -16.2, 5.2) for males]. Child PFAS plasma concentrations were not associated with leptin or adiponectin. Prenatal PFAS plasma concentrations were not associated with leptin, adiponectin, or HOMA-IR in offspring.ConclusionsWe found no evidence for an adverse effect of early-life PFAS exposure on metabolic function in mid-childhood. In fact, children with higher PFAS concentrations had lower insulin resistance. Citation: Fleisch AF, Rifas-Shiman SL, Mora AM, Calafat AM, Ye X, Luttmann-Gibson H, Gillman MW, Oken E, Sagiv SK. 2017. Early-life exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and childhood metabolic function. Environ Health Perspect 125:481-487;?http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP303.
| S-EPMC5332186 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDespite evidence from toxicological studies describing the potential neurotoxicity of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), their role in neurodevelopment remains uncertain amid inconsistent findings from epidemiological studies.MethodsUsing data from 218 mother-child dyads from the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment Study, we examined prenatal and childhood (3 and 8 years) serum concentrations of four PFAS and inattention, impulsivity, and visual spatial abilities. At 8 years, we used the Conners' Continuous Performance Test-II to assess attention and impulse control and the Virtual Morris Water Maze (VMWM) to measure visual spatial abilities.ResultsIn multiple informant models, there was no evidence to indicate that prenatal or childhood PFAS are associated with attention. However, there was an inverse association between prenatal ln-perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and errors of commission (β = -2.0, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] -3.8, -0.3). Ln-perfluorononanoate (PFNA) at 3 years was associated with longer (poorer) VMWM completion times of 3.6 seconds (CI 1.6, 5.6). However, higher concurrent concentrations of ln-perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) (β = -2.4 s, 95% CI -4.4, -0.3) were associated with shorter (better) times. Higher prenatal PFHxS was positively associated with percentage of traveling distance in the correct quadrant (β = 4.2%, 95% CI 0.8, 7.7), indicating better performance.ConclusionFindings were mixed for prenatal and childhood PFAS concentrations and visual spatial abilities. There is not enough evidence to support that PFAS are associated with visual spatial abilities as assessed by the VMWM or CPT-II measures of inattention or impulsivity in children at age 8 years.
| S-EPMC7442289 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVE:Many people are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) because these substances are widely used as industrial products. Although epidemiological studies suggest that PFASs can disrupt thyroid hormones, the association between PFAS exposure and thyroid function remains inconclusive. Therefore, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to investigate the association between PFASs exposure and thyroid hormones. METHODS:We searched medical literature databases for articles on the association between PFASs-perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)-and thyroid hormone levels in adults. Twelve articles were included in the meta-analysis, and the pooled z values were calculated with correlation or regression coefficients. RESULTS:The blood PFOS concentration was positively correlated with free T4. The pooled z value was 0.05 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03, 0.08). PFOS was negatively correlated with total T4 and total T3 when excluding outlier studies. In a subgroup analysis stratified by mean PFOS concentration, PFOS was observed to be positively associated with free T4 and TSH and negatively associated with total T3 in the intermediate concentration group (8-16 ng/mL). PFOA concentration was negatively correlated with total T4 (z value, -0.06; 95% CI: -0.09, -0.03) after omitting one outlier study. PFHxS also showed a negative correlation with total T4 (z value, -0.04; 95% CI: -0.07, -0.01). A subgroup analysis of pregnant women showed that there was no association between PFASs and thyroid hormones. CONCLUSIONS:Our meta-analysis suggests that PFASs are negatively associated with total T4, and their effect can be different depending on the PFAS concentration.
| S-EPMC5945046 | biostudies-literature