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Prenatal PFOA Exposure and Child Adiposity
BMI increase between ages 2 and 8 evaluated
Higher concentrations of prenatal serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) led to greater adiposity in children at age 8 and a more rapid increase in BMI between ages 2 and 8, according to a prospective cohort study.
In addition to PFOA, investigators measured perfluorooctane sulfonic (PFOS), perfluorononanoic (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic (PFHxS) acids in prenatal serum samples of women who lived downstream from a fluoropolymer manufacturing plant.
Later they measured BMI, waist circumference, and body fat of 204 offspring at 8 years of age, as well as BMI of 285 offspring between ages 2 and 8 according to perfluoroalkyl substance concentrations.
Among the results:
• Children whose mothers were in the top 2 PFOA terciles had greater adiposity at 8 years than children in the first tercile.
• Children in the top two PFOA terciles also had greater BMI gains from 2 to 8 years compared to children in the first tercile.
• PFOS, PFNA, and PFHxS were not associated with adiposity.
Citation: Braun J, Chen A, Romano M, et al. Prenatal perfluoroalkyl substance exposure and child adiposity at 8 years of age: The HOME study. [Published online ahead of print November 11, 2015]. Obesity. doi: 10.1002/oby.21258.