Abstract
BackgroundPreterm birth (PTB, < 37 completed weeks’ gestation) is one of the global public health concerns. Epidemiologic evidence on the potential impact of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on PTB is still limited and inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and PTB among singleton live births.MethodsWe studied 2849 mother-infant pairs in the Shanghai Birth Cohort (SBC) from 2013 to 2016. Ten PFAS in maternal plasma in early pregnancy (gestational age, median (interquartile range): 15 (13–16) weeks) were measured. Primary outcomes were duration of gestation, PTB, spontaneous PTB and clinically indicated PTB. A linear regression model was used to assess the associations between ln-transformed PFAS and duration of gestation (in weeks). Logistic regression models were applied to estimate the relative risks of these outcomes.ResultsThe incidence of overall PTB was 4.8% (95% confidence limit: 4.0–5.6%, n = 136) in this study population. In the linear regression analyses, PFAS were not associated with the duration of gestation after controlling for potential confounders. In the multiple logistic models, no significant associations were observed between PFAS and overall PTB, spontaneous or indicated PTB.ConclusionIn this prospective cohort study, we did not observe significant associations between maternal plasma PFAS concentrations in early pregnancy and gestational length, overall PTB, spontaneous or indicated PTB.
Highlights
Preterm birth (PTB, < 37 completed weeks’ gestation) is one of the global public health concerns
The current study aimed to examine the associations between perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in early pregnancy and duration of gestation and risk of PTB in a large prospective cohort in Shanghai, China
The vast majority (95.0%) of couples had more than 12 years of education and only 196 (6.9%) women complicated with chronic diseases during pregnancy
Summary
Preterm birth (PTB, < 37 completed weeks’ gestation) is one of the global public health concerns. Epidemiologic evidence on the potential impact of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on PTB is still limited and inconsistent. PTB is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and Environmental pollution, endocrine disrupting chemicals in particular, has been suspected to be one of the. Huo et al Environmental Health (2020) 19:60 culprits [8]. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a subgroup of the widespread synthetic chemicals and persistent in the environment [9]. PFAS have excellent oil-repellent, water-repellent and dirt resistance characteristics [10]. They have been extensively used in household products (e.g., non-stick cookware, shampoo and carpets) since the 1950s [11]. Humans are exposed through oral ingestion, skin contact and inhalation [12]
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