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. 2012;7(8):e42474.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042474. Epub 2012 Aug 3.

Perfluorinated compounds in umbilical cord blood and adverse birth outcomes

Mei-Huei Chen  1 , Eun-Hee Ha, Ting-Wen Wen, Yi-Ning Su, Guang-Wen Lien, Chia-Yang Chen, Pau-Chung Chen, Wu-Shiun Hsieh
Affiliations

Perfluorinated compounds in umbilical cord blood and adverse birth outcomes

Mei-Huei Chen et al. PLoS One. 2012.

Abstract

Background: Previous animal studies have shown that perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have adverse impacts on birth outcomes, but the results have been inconclusive in humans. We investigated associations between prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA) and birth outcomes.

Methods: In total, 429 mother-infant pairs were recruited from the Taiwan Birth Panel Study (TBPS). Demographic data were obtained by interviewing mothers using a structured questionnaire and birth outcomes were extracted from medical records. Cord blood was collected for PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and PFUA analysis by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Results: The geometric mean (standard deviation) levels of PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and PFUA in cord blood plasma were 1.84 (2.23), 5.94 (1.95), 2.36(4.74), and 10.26 (3.07) ng/mL, respectively. Only PFOS levels were found to be inversely associated with gestational age, birth weight, and head circumference [per ln unit: adjusted β (95% confidence interval, CI) = -0.37 (-0.60, -0.13) wks, -110.2 (-176.0, -44.5) gm and -0.25 (-0.46, -0.05) cm]. Additionally, the odds ratio of preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age increased with PFOS exposure [per ln unit: adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95%CI) = 2.45 (1.47, 4.08), 2.61(0.85, 8.03) and 2.27 (1.25, 4.15)]. When PFOS levels were divided into quartiles, a dose-response relation was observed. However, PFOA, PFNA, and PFUA were not observed to have any convincing impact on birth outcomes.

Conclusions: An adverse dose-dependent association was observed between prenatal PFOS exposure and birth outcomes. However, no associations were found for the other examined PFCs.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Adjusted regression coefficients and 95% confidence intervals of birth outcomes by PFOS levels (in quartiles, ng/mL) in cord blood plasma.
Birth outcomes are shown as (A) gestational age (wks), (B) birth weight (gm), (C) birth length (cm), (D) head circumference (cm) and (E) Ponderal index (gm/cm3). Models were adjusted for maternal age, prepregnancy body mass index, education level, log (Ln)-transformed cord blood cotinine levels, type of delivery, parity and infant sex and gestational age for birth weight, birth length, head circumference, and Ponderal index. The lowest quartile (PFOS levels between 0.11 and 3.84 ng/mL) was set as a reference.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals of birth outcomes by PFOS levels (in quartiles, ng/mL) in cord blood plasma.
Birth outcomes are shown as (A) preterm birth, (B) low birth weight, and (C) small for gestational age. Models were adjusted for maternal age, prepregnancy body mass index, education level, log (Ln)-transformed cord blood cotinine levels, type of delivery, parity and infant sex and gestational age for low birth weight. The lowest quartile (PFOS levels between 0.11 and 3.84 ng/mL) was set as a reference.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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