Collaborative ECHO research led by Yun Liu, PhD and Joseph Braun, PhD of Brown University investigates the relationship between maternal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy and obesity risk among children and adolescents. The research team evaluated maternal PFAS levels during pregnancy and child body mass index (BMI) for 1,391 mother-child pairs across eight ECHO cohorts. The researchers found that higher levels of some PFAS during pregnancy were associated with higher BMIs and an increased risk of obesity in children. This research, titled “Associations of Gestational Perfluoroalkyl Substances Exposure with Early Childhood BMI Z-Scores and Risk of Overweight/Obesity: Results from the ECHO Cohorts,” is published in Environmental Health Perspectives.
This study included women who were pregnant between 1999-2019 in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Hampshire, Georgia, and New York and their children who were evaluated between the ages of 2 and 5 years old. The researchers analyzed the levels of seven different PFAS in blood samples collected from mothers during pregnancy. They then used the children’s height and weight data to calculate their BMI, an approximate measure of body fat, while accounting for each child’s age and sex, as well as other factors related to PFAS exposure and body fat.
“There is growing interest in understanding the effects of PFAS exposure on children’s health,” said Dr. Braun. “Studies like this one will help researchers and policymakers better understand the risks of PFAS in order to take effective actions to protect vulnerable populations.”
Going forward, future studies will examine the associations between maternal PFAS exposure and obesity-related health outcomes in older children.