Pregnancy is a time when the developing baby is exposed to whatever the mother is exposed to. It turns out that this means pesticides (whether on food or in the yard or home) and "forever chemicals". Recent research found that newborns are born already exposed to many more "forever chemicals" (PFAS or per- and polyfluorinated substances) than previously believed.
In the study, the researchers identified 42 different PFAS in cord blood from 120 babies. So far other research has found some long-term effects from PFAS exposure before birth, such as lower birth weight, preterm birth, altered immune responses to vaccines, and metabolic changes.
PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated substances) are commonly known as "forever chemicals" due to their buildup and persistence in people and the environment. They are of great concern because they are endocrine disruptors, have harmful health effects (e.g., cancer, kidney disease, fertility problems), and unfortunately are found in many products that people use daily.
There are thousands of these chemicals in use today. For example, they are found in any product using Teflon, in nonstick pots and pans, nonstick finishes, anti-stain finishes (e.g., in rugs and fabrics), some make-up (waterproof products), some dental floss, food packaging, fir-fighting foam, etc.
Bottom line: We can't avoid all exposures to environmental toxins, but we can lower our exposures, for example, by avoiding nonstick cookware (use stainless steel cookware or glass instead). [More tips on avoiding harmful chemicals.] This is especially important during pregnancy.
From Medical Xpress: Babies are exposed to more 'forever chemicals' before birth than previously known, new study finds
Babies born between 2003 and 2006 were exposed to many more "forever chemicals" before birth than scientists previously understood, according to new research published in Environmental Science & Technology.
Thousands of these chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, remain in use today, and their human health effects are poorly understood—making it crucial to better understand cumulative PFAS exposure in utero.
The study, led by Shelley H. Liu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is the first to use a data science–based method to estimate a newborn's total PFAS exposure, drawing on advanced chemical detection in umbilical cord blood.
PFAS are a large class of man-made chemicals used in products such as nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foams. They are often called "forever chemicals" because they persist in the environment and the human body.
The researchers measured PFAS in archived umbilical cord blood samples collected between 2003 and 2006 from 120 babies in the HOME Study, based in Cincinnati. Looking back two decades allowed the researchers to create a new tool that can be linked to health outcomes in the now-adolescent study participants, which will be a focus of future research.
Using a newer, non-targeted chemical analysis method—a technique that scans for hundreds to thousands of chemicals at the same time rather than testing for a short, predefined list—the research team detected many more PFAS chemicals in umbilical cord blood than traditional testing methods capture, including newer and understudied compounds.
The researchers found 42 confirmed or putatively identified PFAS chemicals in cord blood using this non-targeted approach. Many of these PFAS are not commonly screened by traditional testing methods and their health effects are unknown.
The results showed that infants are exposed to a wide range of PFAS, including perfluorinated chemicals, polyfluorinated chemicals, and fluorotelomers, before birth.
The researchers created PFAS-omics burden scores, using item response theory methods, to summarize total exposure to PFAS. The PFAS-omics scores can be interpreted as a snapshot in time of a baby's overall PFAS exposure.
Importantly, when researchers used this broader PFAS assessment, they did not observe exposure differences between babies born to first-time mothers and those born to mothers with previous pregnancies—a difference that earlier studies had reported using more limited PFAS panels.
"Our findings suggest that how we measure PFAS really matters," said Dr. Liu, first and co-corresponding author of this study.
"When we look more comprehensively, we see that babies are exposed to far more PFAS chemicals before birth than we previously realized—and some of the patterns we thought we understood may change."
Pregnancy is a period of heightened vulnerability. Previous research has linked prenatal PFAS exposure to low birth weight, preterm birth, altered immune responses to vaccines, metabolic changes, and other developmental concerns.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has identified reducing exposure to toxic environmental chemicals like PFAS as a "critical area of intervention."
PFAS exposure is not currently measured in routine clinical care, despite growing evidence that these chemicals affect multiple aspects of health.