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PFAS exposure can affect women’s ability to breastfeed

Study finds harmful chemicals may cause women to stop breastfeeding prematurely

Date:
September 16, 2021
Source:
The Endocrine Society
Summary:
Women with higher levels of PFAS in their system may be 20% more likely to stop breastfeeding early, according to a new study.
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Women with higher levels of PFAS in their system may be 20% more likely to stop breastfeeding early, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are humanmade chemicals used as oil and water repellents and coatings for common products including cookware, carpets and textiles. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals do not break down when they are released into the environment, and they continue to accumulate over time. PFAS chemicals can affect pregnancy outcomes, the timing of puberty and other aspects of reproductive health.

"Our findings are important because almost every human on the planet is exposed to PFAS. These human-made chemicals accumulate in our bodies and have detrimental effects on reproductive health," said the study's first author Clara Amalie Gade Timmermann, Ph.D., assistant professor of the University of Southern Denmark in Copenhagen, Denmark. "Early unwanted weaning has been traditionally attributed to psychological factors, which are without a doubt important, but hopefully our research will help shift the focus and highlight that not all mothers can breastfeed despite good intentions and support from family and healthcare professionals."

The researchers analyzed blood samples for PFAS and prolactin concentrations from up to 1,286 pregnant women from the Odense Child Cohort. The women provided information about the duration of breastfeeding in weekly text messages or questionnaires at three and eighteen months postpartum. The researchers found women with higher levels of PFAS in their system were 20% more likely to stop breastfeeding early.

"Because breastfeeding is crucial to promote both child and maternal health, adverse PFAS effects on the ability to breastfeed may have long-term health consequences," Timmermann said.

Other authors of the study include: Marianne Skovsager Andersen and Henriette Boye of the Odense University Hospital in Denmark; Esben Budtz-Jørgensen of the University of Copenhagen; Flemming Nielsen of the University of Southern Denmark; Richard Christian Jensen, Steffen Husby and Tina Kold Jensen of the University of Southern Denmark and the Odense University Hospital; Signe Bruun of the Odense University Hospital, the University of Southern Denmark and Arla Foods Ingredients Group; and Philippe Grandjean of the University of Southern Denmark and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Mass.

The study received funding from the Independent Research Fund Denmark, the Odense University Hospital, the Region of Southern Denmark, the Municipality of Odense, the Mental Health Service of the Region of Southern Denmark, the Odense Patient data Explorative Network, Novo Nordisk and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.


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Materials provided by The Endocrine Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Clara Amalie Gade Timmermann, Marianne Skovsager Andersen, Esben Budtz-Jørgensen, Henriette Boye, Flemming Nielsen, Richard Christian Jensen, Signe Bruun, Steffen Husby, Philippe Grandjean, Tina Kold Jensen. Pregnancy exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances, prolactin concentrations and breastfeeding in the Odense Child Cohort. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2021; DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab638

Cite This Page:

The Endocrine Society. "PFAS exposure can affect women’s ability to breastfeed." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 September 2021. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210916114548.htm>.
The Endocrine Society. (2021, September 16). PFAS exposure can affect women’s ability to breastfeed. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210916114548.htm
The Endocrine Society. "PFAS exposure can affect women’s ability to breastfeed." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210916114548.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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