ArticleNeurotoxicology and teratology
Associations of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with measures of cognition in 7.5-month-old infants: An exploratory study.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Pediatric effects of forever chemicals may last for a long time.Pediatric research · 2026Review
- Prenatal exposure to aromatic amines and associations with infant cognition in the ECHO.CA.IL cohorts.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2026Article
- Associations of gestational maternal urinary concentrations of individual and mixtures of parabens with cognition in 7.5-month-old infants.Environmental epidemiology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2026Article
- International fluoride symposium: effects of fluoride on human health and its mechanisms of action - a meeting report.BMC proceedings · 2025Article
- Examining the association between gestational phenol exposure and infant non-nutritive suck in two Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes cohorts.Environmental epidemiology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2025Article
- A birth cohort observational study to assess the association of prenatal biomarkers of organophosphates with visual attention, recognition memory and information processing among Thai infants.Environmental research · 2025Observational
- Effects of Early-life PFAS Exposure on Child Neurodevelopment: A Review of the Evidence and Research gaps.Current environmental health reports · 2025Review
- Article
- Regrettable Substitutes and the Brain: What Animal Models and Human Studies Tell Us about the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Bisphenol, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, and Phthalate Replacements.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Associations between oxidative stress biomarkers during pregnancy and infant cognition at 7.5 months.Developmental psychobiology · 2024Article
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Abstract
backgroundPrenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to a wide array of adverse maternal and child health outcomes. However, studies examining PFAS in relation to offspring cognition have been inconclusive.
objectiveWe examined whether prenatal exposure to a mixture of PFAS was related to cognition in 7.5-month-old infants.
methodsOur analytic sample included participants enrolled in the Chemicals in Our Bodies (CIOB) and Illinois Kids Development Study (IKIDS) cohorts (N = 163). Seven PFAS were measured in 2nd trimester maternal serum samples and were detected in >65% of participants. Infant cognition was measured with a visual recognition memory task using an infrared eye tracker when infants were 7.5 months old. This task included familiarization trials where each infant was shown two identical faces and test trials where each infant was shown the familiar face paired with a novel face. In familiarization, we assessed average run duration (time looking at familiarization stimuli before looking away) as a measure of information processing speed, in addition to time to familiarization (time to reach 20 s of looking at stimuli) and shift rate (the number of times infants looked between stimuli), both as measures of attention. In test trials, we assessed novelty preference (proportion of time looking to the novel face) to measure recognition memory. Linear regression was used to estimate associations of individual PFAS with cognitive outcomes, while Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was used to estimate mixture effects.
resultsIn adjusted single-PFAS linear regression models, an interquartile range increase in PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFDeA, and PFUdA was associated with an increase in shift rate, reflecting better visual attention. Using BKMR, increasing quartiles of the PFAS mixture was similarly associated with a modest increase in shift rate. There were no significant associations between PFAS exposure and time to reach familiarization (another measure of attention), average run duration (information processing speed), or novelty preference (visual recognition memory).
conclusionIn our study population, prenatal PFAS exposure was modestly associated with an increase in shift rate and was not strongly associated with any adverse cognitive outcomes in 7.5-month-old infants.
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