Maternal Plasma Concentrations of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Breastfeeding Duration in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort

Abstract

Background Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been widely produced, many of them persist in the environment, and have been associated with various health effects. Previous studies have identified inverse associations between perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and breastfeeding duration, but have been limited in investigation of other PFASs. Methods We measured the associations between plasma concentrations of 9 different PFASs and cessation of breastfeeding before 3 and 6 complete months using women from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). The study population includes 1716 primarily nulliparous women from two previous studies of MoBa participants, enrolled from 2003–2007. The association was measured using Cox proportional hazards model. Mixtures analyses were performed using Elastic net regularization to identify interactive effects and control for co-pollutant confounding. Results Concentrations of PFASs in this population were lower than concentrations in the previous studies on this topic. We found associations between increasing concentrations of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecaconic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) and decreased breastfeeding cessation (increased duration). The strongest associations were seen between PFDA and PFUnDA and cessation before 3 months: (both hazard ratios = 0.73, 95% confidence intervals: 0.62, 0.86). In our population, the other PFASs appeared to be unassociated with breastfeeding cessation. The mixtures analyses identified meaningful interactions between PFUnDA:PFDA, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS):PFOA and PFOA:PFOS. Conclusions The identification of associations between previously unexamined PFASs concentrations and increased breastfeeding duration is novel and may be explained by differences in transplacental transfer rates.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Breastfeeding as a Vulnerable Function: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Studies

“…The included studies were published between 2010 and 2022, and were based on data from women giving birth between 1996 and 2012 (Table 3). Five of the studies focused on women living in northern Europe [40][41][42][43][44] and one was from women in the United States [45]. The study size ranged from 336 [45] to 2374 participants [41].…”

“…The study size ranged from 336 [45] to 2374 participants [41]. Five studies were prospective cohort studies [40,[42][43][44][45], and one was based on data from a natural experiment, in which contaminated drinking water caused serum PFHxS, PFOS, and PFOA concentrations to be 135, 35, and 5 times higher, respectively, in one Swedish municipality, Ronneby, compared to a nearby municipality [41]. The median duration of total breastfeeding ranged from 6 [45] to 9 months [44].…”

“…The median duration of total breastfeeding ranged from 6 [45] to 9 months [44]. One study [42] did not consider exclusive breastfeeding, and one study [41] did not give the duration of exclusive breastfeeding. The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding in the other four studies is provided in Table 3, and ranged from 0.07 [45] to 5 months [44].…”

Computational Investigation of Structure–Function Relationship in Fluorine-Functionalized MOFs for PFOA Capture from Water

“…These persistent industrial chemical wastes are toxic to living beings. Human and animal studies of PFAS revealed that these substances could lead to neurological, liver, and lung problems and disrupt hormonal balance. − Additionally, the cancerous effect of PFAS was investigated, and results indicate that PFAS exposure increases the risk of getting kidney and testicular cancer. , Epidemiological studies have also shown that exposure to specific PFAS has several health effects: immunosuppression among children, adolescents, and adults as well as other targeted organs such as the placenta in pregnant women; there is also sufficient proven evidence indicating that PFAS exposure would affect breast milk production and breastfeeding duration. − There are also findings linking PFAS with elevated cholesterol levels and significant birth defects. , …”

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Toxic Chemicals of Concern in North Carolina

“…Exposure to PFASs begins in-utero, where they readily cross the placental barrier [8]. Exposure can continue early in life with PFASs able to enter breast milk [8]; indeed, population studies have suggested that breastfeeding duration and milk quantity are adversely altered by PFASs exposure [9]. Exposure levels disproportionately affect children, with PFAS concentrations in young children generally exceeding maternal serum concentrations, which can lead to adverse effects such as obesity, hormone suppression, and thyroid diseases in childhood and over the lifespan [2].…”