Does early life PFAS exposure have an impact on bone health in children? A new study co-authored by Aimin Chen, MD, PhD, published in the Journal of Endocrine Society investigated this research question using data from a longitudinal birth cohort with follow-up to early adolescence.
In this Cincinnati-based cohort enrolling pregnant women in the early 2000s, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were measured in series of serum samples in cord blood and in children at 3, 8, and 12 years. Bone mineral density was measured in adolescents at 12 years using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Adjusting for potential confounders, high perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations at all measured time points were linked to lower bone mineral density in the 1/3 distal radius in the forearm. Associations for other PFAS were not as consistent and varied by exposure time points, skeletal sites, and sex of the child. This raises a question of skeletal toxicity of PFAS chemicals during development and suggests future studies on chemical exposure and bone fracture risk in childhood and adolescence.