A large European study of mothers and their offspring has found that children may be affected by endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Studies have found that children of women who were more exposed to these chemicals during pregnancy were more likely to be obese.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA, phthalates, and PFAS are common in consumer products
Prenatal exposure to a variety of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including metals, plastics and pesticides, is linked to a range of childhood health problems, including obesity, according to a large multinational European study.
The first paper, published May 23 in JAMA Network Open, looked at the effects of 45 different endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on children exposed to the chemicals in utero. EDCs can be naturally occurring or man-made chemicals that interfere with hormones in the body and have been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity.
“When mothers are exposed to higher concentrations of a cocktail of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, particularly metals (mainly mercury), per- and polyfluoroalkylating substances (PFAS), organochlorine pesticides, and flame retardants (or PBDEs), they Children are at higher risk Dr. Martine Vrijheid, a professor at IS Global in Barcelona, Spain and lead author of the study, told HealthLine.
PFAS are also known as “forever chemicals” because they take so long to break down.
Metabolic syndrome in children refers to a group of interrelated conditions that include obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and glucose intolerance. Although many factors contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic, the role of EDCs in this complex equation is undisputed.
“All these data, not just from this study but from other studies, suggest that endocrine disruptors drive everything we do to try to prevent or treat obesity in children and adolescents,” said Stephanie E. Green, M.D., M.D. said Dr., MS, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who was not involved in the study.
Data from more than 1,100 mothers and their children
Vrijheid and a team of researchers used longitudinal health data from the Human Early Life Exposure Panel (HELIX project), an ongoing European health research collaboration. The study looked at 1,134 mother-child pairs from six European countries: Spain, France, Greece, Lithuania, Norway and the United Kingdom.
Pregnant women were recruited into the study between 2003 and 2009. The researchers collected biological samples from the women, including urine metabolites and blood biomarkers, to check for the presence of 45 different EDCs. Unlike previous research on the topic, the team did not focus on individual EDCs, but instead studied the effects of mixtures of chemicals that were more representative of real-world exposures.
After the women gave birth to their children, the team continued to care for them until 2016, when the children were aged between six and 11 years old.
Doctors screened the children using the Comprehensive Metabolic Syndrome Risk Measurement System, which includes waist circumference, blood pressure, urine and blood metabolites, insulin levels and cholesterol.
Children whose mothers are more exposed to some, but not all, EDCs are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome in childhood.
“The associations we saw were with exposure to chemical mixtures rather than single chemicals. This highlights the importance of studying the health effects of everyday chemical mixtures, rather than studying them individually,” Vrijheid said.
What chemicals are linked to obesity?
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals occur in nature. Today, however, they are more commonly found in a variety of commercially used products.
Varieties studied by researchers include:
- Parabens – chemicals commonly used as preservatives and found in foods, cosmetics, and drugs
- Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – so-called “forever chemicals” commonly found in plastics, food packaging and cookware Occurrence
- Bisphenol A (BPA) – a chemical primarily used in plastics from water bottles and metal food cans
- Phthalates – chemicals used in plastics to make them more durable
- Pesticides – Insect-killing chemicals used in agriculture
- Flame retardants (PBDE) – chemicals added to products to prevent them from burning
- Mercury – A heavy metal and a known neurotoxin.
Researchers found that PFAS, pesticides and flame retardants were associated with the highest risk of metabolic syndrome. On the other hand, chemical categories including phthalates, bisphenols, and parabens did not show an increased risk.
Of all EDCs, metals, especially mercury, are most associated with metabolic syndrome.
These associations also differed by gender: Girls had stronger associations with certain EDCs than boys.
“For girls, the association was stronger for PFAS mixtures, while boys seemed to be more exposed to parabens. Since endocrine disruptors affect sex steroid hormones, sex differences are expected,” Vrijheid said.
How to Prevent Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
Both Green and Vrijheid told Healthline that the most important step in limiting EDC exposure is regulating the use of the chemical itself. Many of them are so ubiquitous in consumer products these days that even committing to skipping fast food or avoiding plastic may not be enough.
These chemicals are found in our water, homes and even in the air.
“The government needs to intervene to clean up the water supply and stop companies from using these chemicals in packaging, clothing, shampoo, cosmetics and more,” Green said.
“The primary responsibility of regulatory agencies is to prevent exposure to toxic chemicals, especially during vulnerable periods such as pregnancy and childhood… Our findings are important to inform and improve policy and practice guidance,” Vrijheid said.
Final Results
Children of women exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals during pregnancy are more likely to develop pediatric metabolic syndrome and obesity.
The researchers used longitudinal data from more than 1,000 mothers and their children in six different European countries.
EDCs include a variety of natural and man-made chemicals, including PFAS, mercury, phthalates, and pesticides.
Experts say greater regulation is needed to remove these chemicals from consumer products.