Peer-reviewed article
In utero PFAS exposure, inflammation, and behavioral problems in childhood.
Rocha S, Buthmann JL, Antonacci C, Uy JP, Tan AP et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study followed 264 Singaporean children from birth to age 10.5 years to investigate whether prenatal exposure to PFAS chemicals affects behavioral development. Children exposed to higher levels of three types of PFAS in the womb showed more internalizing behavioral problems (such as anxiety and withdrawal) at ages 2 to 4 years, but these differences reduced as they got older. The research suggests that inflammation may be one mechanism linking PFAS exposure to behavioral issues.
Key points
- Higher prenatal exposure to PFNA, PFDA, and PFUnDA was associated with more severe internalizing problems at age 2
- Associations between PFAS and internalizing problems weakened significantly from age 7 onwards
- Cord blood interleukin-6 (a marker of inflammation) partially mediated the association between PFNA and internalizing problems
- The study measured children at five timepoints: ages 2, 3, 4, 7, and 10.5 years
- No significant associations were found between PFAS and externalizing behavioral problems
Limitations
The study cannot establish whether PFAS causes behavioral problems or determine causation, as it is observational. Results are specific to a single birth cohort in Singapore and may not generalize to other populations or regions.
Abstract
Background Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been posited to be harmful for neurodevelopment; however, researchers have not yet examined its influence on behavioral problems longitudinally across childhood or the immunological underpinnings of these links. Methods This birth-cohort study followed 264 Singaporean mother-infant dyads from the prenatal period to 10.5 years post-delivery. Concentrations of 9 PFAS and 3 inflammatory markers were assayed from umbilical cord blood. Internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist when children were ages 2, 3, 4, 7, and 10.5 years. Linear mixed effect models estimated the associations of PFAS with children's internalizing and externalizing problems as children aged. For the PFAS that were significantly associated with children's behavioral problems, we tested whether levels of inflammatory cytokines statistically mediated the associations. Results Higher cord blood concentrations of PFNA, PFDA and PFUnDA were associated with more severe internalizing problems at 2 years of age (PFNA: B = 1.65 [0.60, 2.71]; PFDA: B = 1.85 [0.81, 2.89]; PFUnDA: B = 1.26 [0.27, 2.25]). Two of these associations (PFNA, PFDA) weakened significantly as children aged (PFNA: B = -0.26 [-0.44, -0.08]; PFDA: B = -0.35 [-0.52, -0.17]). Higher levels of cord blood interleukin (IL)-6 mediated the association of PFNA with internalizing problems (B = 0.25 [0.01, 0.58]). Conclusion Greater in utero exposure to three types of PFAS was related to more severe internalizing problems from two to four years of age, with associations attenuated after 7 years of age. Inflammation may be one pathway through which PFAS influence development, although replication is warranted.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
Problem
Prenatal exposure to PFAS chemicals and resulting behavioral and developmental problems in childhood
- Intervention
- Observational exposure to in utero PFAS (no intervention applied)
- Population
- 264 mother-infant dyads in Singapore, followed from prenatal period to 10.5 years post-delivery
Key finding
PFNA exposure associated with internalizing problems at 2 years (B = 1.65 [0.60, 2.71]) with decline over time (B = -0.26 [-0.44, -0.08] per year)