Infant PFAS Exposure Linked to Cholesterol and Weight Problems, Study Warns

Researchers warn that it is “vital” to reduce PFAS exposure for expecting mothers, given long-term health risks for unborn children.

Amid rising concerns about the long-term health risks from PFAS water contamination, which has plagued many communities nationwide, a new study indicates that infants exposed to the “forever chemicals” in the womb face an increased risk of developing diabetes and hypertension later in life.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) include a group of over 15,000 man-made chemicals, that have been used for decades in a variety of different products to resist grease, oil and water. They are known to persist for long periods of time, building up in the environment and human body, leading to a number of known side effects for individuals who come into contact with the chemicals.

In a new study published in the November issue of Environmental International, Norwegian researchers indicate that they have found evidence that prenatal PFAS exposure also increases the risk of metabolic health effects for unborn children, which can manifest as they age.

Prenatal PFAS Side Effects for Unborn Children

Anne-Lise Bjørke-Monsen and a team of researchers from the Haukeland University Hospital looked at data on 114 different infants who were healthy and born at term, and evaluated the potential long-term health risks the children faced from prenatal PFAS exposure.

Researchers measured the levels of PFAS in the blood of their mothers, finding that infants born to those with higher levels were more likely to have a reduced birth weight and an increased percentage of weight gain in the first half year of life. They also found that infants with high levels of PFAS in their blood also faced an increased risk of developing high cholesterol and higher blood pressure.

“Our data demonstrate that prenatal and postnatal PFAS exposure are associated with an unfavourable metabolic profile at a very young age,” the researchers determined. “This pattern is concerning as it may be linked to early conditioning of later metabolic age. It is vital to reduce PFAS exposure in women of fertile age in order to prevent development of metabolic disease in the next generation.”

PFAS Exposure Lawsuits

While PFAS are found in a number of products, most concerns about exposure to the chemicals has come from water contamination problems linked to run off from aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) products, which have been used for decades by the U.S. military and local fire departments to combat fuel based fires.

Due to a failure to warn about the long-term side effects of the PFAS exposure, 3M Company, DuPont and other manufacturers of fire safety equipment now face thousands of lawsuits brought by individuals who developed testicular cancer, kidney cancer, ulcerative colitis or other injuries caused by contaminated drinking water. The companies also face AFFF cancer lawsuits brought by firefighters, who were directly exposed to large volumes of the chemicals during training or response exercises.

Given common questions of fact and law raised in the complaints, thousands of PFAS exposure lawsuits brought throughout the federal court system have been consolidated under U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel in South Carolina, to reduce duplicative discovery and avoid conflicting pretrial rulings.

As part of the coordinated management of the litigation, a small group of early PFAS lawsuits are being prepared for trial dates starting in 2025, involving claims that individuals developed testicular cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, thyroid cancer, thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis, after drinking water known to be contaminated with high levels of the chemicals.

While the outcome of these early trial dates will not have any binding impact on other claims being pursued throughout the federal court system, they are designed to help gauge how juries may respond to certain evidence and testimony that will be repeated throughout the litigation.