Social Media and Screen Time

ECHO Social Media and Screen Time Research

Questions

For more information, please email the NIH at NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Social media and digital tools have become part of daily life for many children and adolescents. While these platforms may offer a number of benefits, excessive screen time and digital media use among children have also been associated with adverse physical, developmental, and mental health outcomes, including obesity, inadequate sleep, and depression and anxiety. More research is needed to understand the full impact of screen time and social media use during developmentally sensitive periods of childhood and adolescence.

How can ECHO continue to advance research on the effects of digital media on child and adolescent health and well-being?

The ECHO Program is committed to understanding the factors that influence child health, well-being, and development. The ECHO Program’s uniquely diverse, nationwide research network collects information from more than 50,000 children and their families, including information about media habits and related health outcomes. This allows researchers to investigate the effects of digital media use on child health and well-being.

ECHO continues to publish new research on the role of digital media in child health and well-being. See below for a regularly updated list of ECHO publications investigating childhood screen use.

ECHO Screen Time Publications

How Has Children’s Screen Time Changed During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Increases in screen time among children during the COVID-19 pandemic persisted more than one year into the pandemic, even when school closures and other restrictions had been lifted.

How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Children’s Health Behaviors?

Children’s screen time increased during the pandemic with Hispanic children and non-Hispanic Black children having the most noticeable increase in screen time.

How Have Changes in Family Situations Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Children’s Behavior?

Children with parents who were able to change their work schedules to care for their children during the pandemic had less screen time and slept longer at night compared to children with parents who were unable to adjust their work schedules due to stress about money and access to food.

How Can Clinicians Help Parents Set Reasonable Boundaries for their Children’s Digital Media Use?

Parents have varying knowledge and beliefs when it comes to regulating their children’s digital media use, but many parents are interested in learning more about this topic from materials provided by their child’s pediatrician.

NIH Study Links Prenatal Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure to Higher BMI & Obesity Risk in Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy was linked to slightly higher BMIs and an increased risk of obesity in children, according to new research funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program (ECHO) at the National Institutes of Health.

“There is a growing interest in understanding the effects of PFAS exposure on children’s health,” said Joseph Braun, PhD, of Brown University. “Studies like this one can help researchers and policymakers better understand the risks of PFAS to take effective actions to protect vulnerable populations.”

The researchers analyzed the levels of seven different PFAS in blood samples collected from mothers during pregnancy. These so-called “forever chemicals” are long-lasting substances that can be found in many household materials, as well as food and drinking water.

Researchers then calculated each child’s BMI, an approximate measure of body fat. Higher levels of PFAS in mother’s blood were related to slightly higher BMIs and increased risk of obesity were seen equally for male and female children.

The study used data collected over two decades from 1,391 children between the ages of 2 and 5 years and their mothers who were enrolled in eight ECHO research sites in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Hampshire, Georgia, and New York.

Future studies will examine the associations between maternal PFAS exposure and obesity-related health outcomes in older children.

Dr. Braun and Yun Liu, PhD, ECHO Program investigators at Brown University, led this collaborative research published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

If you are not a member of the media, but have a general inquiry, please contact  NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Connect With Us

echo connectorCheck out the recent issues of our bi-monthly newsletter, the ECHO Connector, for program news and the latest research findings.

To receive the ECHO Connector through email, subscribe here.

Follow @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

Maternal PFAS Exposure During Pregnancy Increases Children’s Risk of Obesity

<< Back to Research Summaries

Maternal PFAS Exposure During Pregnancy May Increase Children’s Risk of Obesity

Authors: Yun Liu, Joseph Braun, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

 

Why was this study needed?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are long-lasting chemicals that can be found in many household materials, as well as food and drinking water. Maternal PFAS exposure during pregnancy may be linked to increased weight and a higher risk of obesity among children and adolescents. However, existing studies looking at these associations have had inconsistent findings.

 

What were the study results?

The study found that higher levels of some PFAS were linked with slightly higher BMIs in children and an increased risk of obesity. This trend was seen across male and female children and wasn’t affected by the presence of other factors linked to childhood obesity.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was this study's impact?

Recently, there has been growing interest in understanding the effects of PFAS exposure on children’s health and establishing policies to address PFAS pollution. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a Roadmap to address PFAS contamination. Studies like this one can help better understand the risks of PFAS to take effective actions to protect vulnerable populations.

 

Who was involved?

The researchers used data from 1,391 children between the ages of 2 and 5 years and their mothers who were enrolled in eight ECHO cohorts across United States from 1999 to 2019.

 

What happened during the study?

The researchers measured levels of seven different PFAS in maternal blood samples collected during pregnancy. The researchers also used data on children’s weight and height to calculate each child’s body mass index (BMI), an approximate measure of body fat.

 

What happens next?

Future studies are needed to examine potential links between maternal PFAS exposure during pregnancy and obesity-related health concerns in older children.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Associations of Gestational Perfluoroalkyl Substances Exposure with Early Childhood BMI Z-Scores and Risk of Overweight/Obesity: Results from the ECHO Cohorts,” in Environmental Health Perspectives.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published June 7, 2023

Access the associated article.

See ECHO's PFAS research.

Read More Research Summaries about Chemical Exposures and Pregnancy

Effect of Prenatal PFAS Exposure on Birthweight

Authors: Amy Padula, Tracey Woodruff, et al.

Does prenatal PFAS exposure affect a child’s risk for developing autism-related traits?

Authors: Jennifer Ames, Ghassan Hamra, et al.

Exposures to environmental chemicals and their effect on important molecules during pregnancy

Author(s): Brett T. Doherty, Megan E. Romano, et al.

Do chemicals that break down slowly in the environment affect how long it takes to become pregnant?  

Author(s): Linda Kahn, Alison Hipwell, Kim Harley, Pam Factor-Litvak, Michele Klein-Fedyshin, Christine Porucznik, Eva Siegel, Yeyi Zhu

A review of studies that look at whether exposure to common non-persistent chemicals in consumer products delays the time it takes to become pregnant

Author(s): Alison E. Hipwell, Linda G. Kahn, Pam Factor-Litvak, et al

ECHO Researchers Reveal Link Between PFAS Exposure During Pregnancy and Childhood Obesity Risk

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.

Read the research summary.

ECHO’s PFAS Research

ECHO PFAS Research

Questions

For more information, please email the NIH at NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manufactured chemicals that are used in a wide variety of industry and consumer products. These substances are known as “forever chemicals” because they break down very slowly, persist in the environment, and accumulate in people and animals. PFAS can be found in many household materials, personal care products, food, and drinking water. Many people can be exposed to PFAS through their environment, occupation, or use of contaminated water, products, or packaging.

Current research suggests that high levels of some PFAS may be associated with adverse health outcomes, including pregnancy outcomes, neurological impairments, and obesity. The full scope of health effects on families in the United States is not fully understood, given the number of PFAS chemicals used in products and the potential ways PFAS exposures can occur.

How can ECHO continue to advance PFAS research?

The ECHO Program is committed to understanding how environmental exposures, including exposures to PFAS and other widespread chemical substances, influence the health and well-being of children and their families. The ECHO Program’s uniquely diverse, nationwide research network includes more than 50,000 children and allows researchers to investigate the effects of chemical exposures on child health outcomes.

ECHO continues to publish new research on the effects of PFAS exposure. See below for an ongoing list of ECHO publications investigating PFAS.

ECHO PFAS Publications

How Does Maternal PFAS Exposure During Pregnancy Affect Children’s Risk of Obesity?

Higher levels of some PFAS during pregnancy were linked with slightly higher body mass index (BMI) in children and increased risk of obesity.

What are the Effects of Prenatal PFAS Exposure on Birthweight?

PFAS were found in almost all study participants, and participants with higher levels of PFAS in their blood were more likely to have babies born at lower birthweights compared to those with lower levels of PFAS exposure.

Does Prenatal PFAS Exposure Affect a Child’s Risk for Developing Autism-related Traits?

Prenatal exposure to one specific PFAS, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), may be associated with an increase in autism-related traits in children.

What is the Effect of Maternal PFAS Exposure on Prenatal Growth in Black Women?

Some PFAS exposures were associated with greater risk of low birthweight or changes in the levels of key molecules related to infant development.

NIH Study Links Low Birthweight to Prenatal Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Exposure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

High exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy may be associated with lower birthweights, according to a new study funded by Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program (ECHO) at the National Institutes of Health.

PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals,” that break down slowly over time and can be found in drinking water, food, household products, personal care products, manufacturing facilities, and other sources.

“Outside of research studies, pregnant women are not tested for PFAS and are uncertain of the potential harms PFAS can cause,” said Amy Padula, PhD, MSc, an ECHO Program investigator at the University of California, San Francisco. “We need to better understand where people are most likely to be exposed to these substances given the number of sources, from drinking water to consumer products.”

This is the largest study to date to examine the role of PFAS in birth outcomes, involving more than 3,000 pregnant participants from 11 different ECHO research sites across the United States. Researchers measured PFAS levels in pregnant participants’ blood samples and found that the risk of giving birth to a baby of low birthweight increases with higher levels of these chemicals.

Dr. Padula and Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, ECHO Program investigators at the University of California, San Francisco led this collaborative research published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Padula, A. et al. Birth Outcomes in Relation to Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Stress in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Environmental Health Perspectives. DOI: 10.1289/EHP10723

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

If you are not a member of the media, but have a general inquiry, please contact  NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Connect With Us

echo connectorCheck out the recent issues of our bi-monthly newsletter, the ECHO Connector, for program news and the latest research findings.

To receive the ECHO Connector through email, subscribe here.

Follow @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

ECHO Study Suggests Exposure to PFAS During Pregnancy May Be Linked to Lower Birthweights

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ECHO Study Suggests Exposure to PFAS During Pregnancy May Be Linked to Lower Birthweights

Authors: Amy Padula, Tracey Woodruff, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, the Office of the Director, and the National Institutes of Health.

Footnote: The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 

What were the study results?

PFAS were found in almost all participants in the study. Researchers also found that in this study, participants with higher levels of PFAS exposure were more likely to have babies born with lower birthweight. These results did not find that stress played a role in the relationship between PFAS exposure and birthweight.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was this study's impact?

The results of this study suggest that PFAS exposure during pregnancy is associated with lower birthweight in infants. However, outside of research studies, pregnant women are not usually tested for PFAS and are often unaware of their potential harms despite PFAS exposure from the environment being common. Therefore, it is important to address efforts to reduce and prevent further exposure to PFAS. Researchers need to better understand where people are most likely to be exposed to these chemicals given the wide range of exposure sources, from PFAS contamination in water to PFAS used in certain consumer products.

 

Why was this study needed?

It is important to know what the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposures may be on child and maternal health. This study is the largest of its kind and includes participants from across the US to help inform future research related to potential effects of PFAS exposures.

 

Who was involved?

This study included eleven ECHO pregnancy cohorts with a total of 3,339 participants from several states.

 

What happened during the study?

The researchers measured the concentration of PFAS, chemicals used in a wide range of consumer products, in the blood of pregnant women. They also surveyed these women about their stress levels throughout pregnancy. These measurements occurred over the past 20 years. The researchers then compared the birthweight for babies resulting from these pregnancies and recorded any instances of preterm birth.

 

What happens next?

The next step for researchers is to examine potential sources of PFAS exposures, including exposures from drinking water and consumer products. Future studies within ECHO may also examine how body mass index and preexisting conditions, such as diabetes during pregnancy or high blood pressure, may interact with PFAS exposures and contribute to the effects of PFAS on infant birthweight. Future studies may also examine additional chemicals that could contribute to lower birthweight in infants.

 

Where can I learn more?

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a Roadmap to protect people and communities from PFAS contamination.

Access the full journal article, titled “Birth Outcomes in Relation to Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Stress in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program” in Environmental Health Perspectives.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Published March 15, 2023

 

Access the associated article.

Read More Research Summaries about Chemical Exposures and Pregnancy

Does prenatal PFAS exposure affect a child’s risk for developing autism-related traits?

Authors: Jennifer Ames, Ghassan Hamra, et al.

Exposures to environmental chemicals and their effect on important molecules during pregnancy

Author(s): Brett T. Doherty, Megan E. Romano, et al.

Do chemicals that break down slowly in the environment affect how long it takes to become pregnant?  

Author(s): Linda Kahn, Alison Hipwell, Kim Harley, Pam Factor-Litvak, Michele Klein-Fedyshin, Christine Porucznik, Eva Siegel, Yeyi Zhu

A review of studies that look at whether exposure to common non-persistent chemicals in consumer products delays the time it takes to become pregnant

Author(s): Alison E. Hipwell, Linda G. Kahn, Pam Factor-Litvak, et al

ECHO Researchers Investigate the Effect of Prenatal PFAS Exposure on Birthweight

In a study investigating how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposures affected pregnant mothers and their babies, ECHO researchers Amy Padula, PhD, MSc, and Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, from the University of California, San Francisco found that higher levels of prenatal exposure to PFAS are associated with lower birthweights. The PFAS were detected in all participating mothers, suggesting some level of PFAS exposure from the environment. PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals that break down very slowly over time and are found in drinking water, food, household products, personal care products, manufacturing facilities, and other sources.

This research, titled “Birth Outcomes in Relation to Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Stress in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program,” is published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

For this study, the researchers collected blood samples and pregnancy data from more than 3,000 pregnant women in 11 different ECHO cohorts. They then measured PFAS levels in the mothers’ blood samples and asked them about their stress levels during pregnancy. The team found that mothers who had higher levels of PFAS chemicals in their bodies were more likely to give birth to a baby of low birth weight than mothers with lower levels of PFAS. Additionally, previous studies have found that psychosocial stress may affect PFAS exposures and birthweight. However, the team did not find that stress played a role in the relationships between low birthweight and PFAS exposure.

This research suggests that PFAS exposures during pregnancy can affect infant birth weight, demonstrating the importance of efforts to reduce sources of environmental PFAS exposure. “Outside of research studies, pregnant women are not tested for PFAS and are uncertain of the potential harms PFAS cause,” said Dr. Padula. “We need to better understand where people are most likely to be exposed to these substances given the number of sources, from drinking water to consumer products.”

The next steps for this research include examining potential sources of PFAS exposure. Additional studies may examine how factors like body mass index and other health conditions in pregnancy might additionally affect the relationship between PFAS exposure and infant birthweight.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a Roadmap to address PFAS as part of the Biden Administration plan to accelerate efforts to better protect Americans from PFAS exposure.

Read the research summary.

ECHO Study Suggests Prenatal Exposure to Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA) May Be Linked to Autism-Related Traits in Children

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ECHO Study Suggests Prenatal Exposure to Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA) May Be Linked to Autism-Related Traits in Children

Authors: Jennifer Ames, Ghassan Hamra, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

 

What were the study results?

The researchers found that prenatal exposure to one specific PFAS chemical, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) may be associated with an increase in autism-related traits in children. Prenatal exposure to the mixture of all PFAS chemicals combined was not associated with increased autism-related traits in children.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

This study draws attention to the potential risks of PFAS chemicals on child neurodevelopment.  In the U.S., exposures to some specific PFAS, such as PFOA and PFOS, have dropped substantially since the industry voluntarily phased these chemicals out in the early 2000s. However, other PFAS exposures have increased over time, including thousands of these substances with unknown toxicity. These so-called “forever chemicals” continue to pose risks to health even after they are phased out because they persist in the environment and inside people’s bodies and don’t break down easily. While the estimated effects of PFAS chemicals on child autism-related traits are relatively small in this study, future studies may investigate whether early childhood exposure to PFAS chemicals are associated with effects on other neurodevelopmental outcomes.

 

Why was this study needed?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used, long lasting chemicals, the components of which break down very slowly over time. Previous studies looking at associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are inconsistent and mostly conducted in small sample sizes.  The objective of this research was to determine whether blood concentrations of PFAS during pregnancy were linked to the development of autism-related traits in children. The researchers in this study were able to examine this question by continuously measuring the development of autism-related traits in a large number of children across the U.S, independently of whether a child received a clinical ASD diagnosis.

 

Who was involved?

The participants of this study included 1,224 mother-child pairs from ten cohorts across the United States. The participants were geographically, racially, and ethnically diverse, and one of the cohorts included families with an increased genetic likelihood of ASD. Most of the participating children were born between 2011 and 2018.

 

What happened during the study?

The researchers measured the levels of eight different PFAS in blood samples collected from mothers during pregnancy. Later, when their children were aged 2.5 years or older, researchers asked caregivers to report on the child’s autism-related traits using a questionnaire called the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). The research team tracked the relationship between child SRS scores and prenatal exposure to each individual PFAS as well as the combination of the eight PFAS.

 

What happens next?

Additional research is needed to continue studying the effect of early life exposure to PFAS on child neurodevelopment, including cognition, attention, and other neurobehaviors.  Future studies can also investigate whether biological sex and other factors—such as genetics, underlying health conditions, and nutritional status—may change the effect of PFAS exposure on brain development.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and childhood autism-related outcomes,” in Epidemiology.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Published January 12, 2023

 

Access the associated article.

See ECHO's PFAS research.

Read More Research Summaries about Chemical Exposures and Pregnancy

Exposures to environmental chemicals and their effect on important molecules during pregnancy

Author(s): Brett T. Doherty, Megan E. Romano, et al.

Do chemicals that break down slowly in the environment affect how long it takes to become pregnant?  

Author(s): Linda Kahn, Alison Hipwell, Kim Harley, Pam Factor-Litvak, Michele Klein-Fedyshin, Christine Porucznik, Eva Siegel, Yeyi Zhu

A review of studies that look at whether exposure to common non-persistent chemicals in consumer products delays the time it takes to become pregnant

Author(s): Alison E. Hipwell, Linda G. Kahn, Pam Factor-Litvak, et al

Exposure to Certain Phthalates During Pregnancy May Affect Brain Development in Infant Girls

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Exposure to Certain Phthalates During Pregnancy May Affect Brain Development in Infant Girls

Authors:  Leny Matthew, Craig Newschaffer, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health supported this research.

 

What were the study results?

In this study, researchers found that certain phthalates measured in the infant’s meconium, or first stool, were associated with lower scores on a common test that measures motor, visual, and language skills in girls under age 5.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

This study suggests that prenatal exposure to certain types of phthalates may worsen early childhood learning outcomes for girls but have a neutral or slightly positive effect on boys. By studying meconium, instead of maternal urine, the researchers may be able to capture a longer timeframe of potential pre-natal exposure.

 

Why was the study needed?

Phthalates are widely used in personal care products, cosmetics, plastics, and other household items. These chemicals can cause the body to make substances that are thought to reduce a mother’s level of thyroid hormones, which are critical for fetal brain development. Phthalates are also associated with a reduction in the hormones necessary for sex-specific fetal brain development. Therefore, it is important to test the levels of prenatal phthalate exposure and the potential effects on developing fetuses.

 

Who was involved?

The study involved 956 mother and child pairs from two ECHO research sites—the Safe Passage study (SPS) and the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI). Researchers focused on children who were higher risk for brain and nervous system disorders based on a family history of Autism or exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.

 

What happened during the study?

ECHO researchers measured phthalate levels in meconium from children who had a higher risk for developing brain and nervous system disorders. When the children were 12 months old, researchers tested their motor, visual, and language skills. Researchers used meconium samples rather than the mother’s urine to capture longer-term fetal exposure to phthalates.

 

What happens next?

Future prenatal phthalate exposure studies using meconium samples from newborn infants could investigate the differing effects of phthalate exposure on male versus female infants in order to better understand the reasons why these differences may occur.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “The associations between prenatal phthalate exposure measured in child meconium and cognitive functioning of 12-month-old children in two cohorts at elevated risk for adverse neurodevelopment,” in Environmental Research.

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Published November 2022

Read More Research Summaries about Chemical Exposures and Pregnancy

Does prenatal PFAS exposure affect a child’s risk for developing autism-related traits?

Authors: Jennifer Ames, Ghassan Hamra, et al.

Exposures to environmental chemicals and their effect on important molecules during pregnancy

Author(s): Brett T. Doherty, Megan E. Romano, et al.

Do chemicals that break down slowly in the environment affect how long it takes to become pregnant?  

Author(s): Linda Kahn, Alison Hipwell, Kim Harley, Pam Factor-Litvak, Michele Klein-Fedyshin, Christine Porucznik, Eva Siegel, Yeyi Zhu

A review of studies that look at whether exposure to common non-persistent chemicals in consumer products delays the time it takes to become pregnant

Author(s): Alison E. Hipwell, Linda G. Kahn, Pam Factor-Litvak, et al