Association between prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and neurodevelopment in children: Evidence based on birth cohort

Xin-Xin Gao; Qian-Lin Zuo; Xi-Hang Fu; Ling-Ling Song; Man-Qiu Cen; Jing Wu

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.116812

Association between prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and neurodevelopment in children: Evidence based on birth cohort

Environ Res. 2023 Nov 1;236(Pt 2):116812. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116812. Epub 2023 Aug 1.

Authors

Xin-Xin Gao¹, Qian-Lin Zuo¹, Xi-Hang Fu¹, Ling-Ling Song¹, Man-Qiu Cen¹, Jing Wu²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
² Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. Electronic address: wujingtj@hust.edu.cn.

PMID: 37536558
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116812

Abstract

Background: Although numerous studies have examined the effect of prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure on neurodevelopment in children, findings have been inconsistent.

Objective: To better understand the effects of PFAS exposure during pregnancy on offspring neurodevelopment, we conducted a systematic review of prenatal exposure to different types of PFAS and neurodevelopment in children.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE electronic databases up to March 2023. Only birth cohort studies that report a specific association between PFAS exposure during pregnancy and neurodevelopment were included in this review.

Results: 31 birth cohort studies that met the inclusion criteria were qualitatively integrated. Among these, 14 studies investigated the impact of PFAS exposure during pregnancy on cognition, 13 on neurobehavior, and 4 on both cognition and neurobehavior. Additionally, 4 studies explored the influence of PFAS on children's comprehensive development.

Conclusion: Prenatal PFAS exposure was associated with poor neurodevelopment in children, including psychomotor development, externalizing behavior, and comprehensive development. However, conclusive evidence regarding its effects on other neurological outcomes remains limited. In addition, sex-specific effects on social behavior and sleep problems were identified.

Keywords: Birth cohort; Neurodevelopment; Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances; Prenatal exposure.

Publication types

Review