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Maternal exposure to perfluorinated acids and fetal growth

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 20, pages 589–597 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

The widespread detection of perfluorinated acids (PFAs) in humans and known developmental toxicity in animals has raised concern about their potential effects on human reproductive health. Our objective was to determine whether increasing maternal exposure to PFAs is associated with adverse effects on fetal growth and length of gestation in women giving birth in Alberta, Canada. We examined the concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) in a cohort of 252 pregnant women who gave birth to live singletons. Each of the women had undergone an early second trimester prenatal screen, and her serum was analyzed for PFA concentrations. Data on infant and maternal variables were collected from the delivery record completed at birth. Adjusted changes in birth weight per natural log (ng/ml) of PFOA (median 1.5 ng/ml), PFHxS (median 0.97 ng/ml), and PFOS (median 7.8 ng/ml) were −37.4 g (95% confidence interval (CI): −86.0 to 11.2 g), 21.9 g (−23.4 to 67.2 g), and 31.3 g (−43.3 to 105.9 g), respectively. Mean birth weight z-score, standardized for gestational age and gender, length of gestation, and risk of preterm birth did not appear to be influenced by maternal PFA exposure. When PFA concentrations were divided into tertiles, similar patterns were observed. These results suggest that maternal PFA exposure has no substantial effect on fetal weight and length of gestation at the concentrations observed in this population.

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Acknowledgements

Igor Burstyn received salary support as a Population Health Investigator from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Jonathan Martin received funding from NSERC Discovery, Alberta Health and Wellness, and the University Hospital Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Michele P Hamm, Emily Chan & Jonathan W Martin

  2. Department of Medicine, Community and Occupational Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Nicola M Cherry & Igor Burstyn

  3. Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Jonathan W Martin

Authors
  1. Michele P Hamm
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  3. Emily Chan
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  4. Jonathan W Martin
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Correspondence to Igor Burstyn.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table A1

Table a1 Distribution of risk factors for fetal growth restriction and neonatal morbidity, according to maternal perfluorinated acid (PFA) concentrations (ng/mL)
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Hamm, M., Cherry, N., Chan, E. et al. Maternal exposure to perfluorinated acids and fetal growth. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 20, 589–597 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2009.57

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