Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—man-made chemicals found in a variety of consumer products and contaminated water, air, and food—during pregnancy was associated with changes in maternal gut microbiome, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.

The composition of the gut microbiome is dependent on factors including diet, lifestyle, and exposure to environmental chemicals, and has implications for human health. “Changes in the maternal microbiome may impact multiple pregnancy health outcomes related to metabolism and inflammation, thus it is important to identify environmental factors such as PFAS that can modulate microbiome form and function,” said ECHO Cohort investigator Michael Petriello, PhD of Wayne State University.

Key takeaways include:

• Prenatal PFAS exposure was significantly associated with the relative abundance of specific types of bacteria in the maternal gut microbiome.
• Associations between PFAS exposure and the gut microbiome differed by study location, with some bacteria present in one location but not the other.
• In both sites, prenatal PFAS exposure did not have a significant effect on the diversity of microbes in the maternal gut microbiome.

The effect of PFAS exposure on maternal gut microbiome composition may have broader implications for the health of both the mother and baby.

“It is important to decrease exposure to pollutants such as PFAS, but complementary interventions focused on improving microbiome health and resiliency may also help to decrease the toxicity of environmental chemicals,” said Dr. Petriello.

This collaborative research, titled “Prenatal PFAS exposure and outcomes related to microbiome composition and diversity in later pregnancy,” is published in Environmental Research.