The Association between Prenatal Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Exposure and Neurobehavioral Problems in Offspring: A Meta-Analysis

Huojie Yao, Yingyin Fu, Xueqiong Weng, Zurui Zeng, Yuxuan Tan, Xiaomei Wu, Huixian Zeng, Zhiyu Yang, Yexin Li, Huanzhu Liang, Yingying Wu, Lin Wen and Chunxia Jing ()
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Huojie Yao: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Yingyin Fu: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Xueqiong Weng: Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510440, China
Zurui Zeng: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Yuxuan Tan: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Xiaomei Wu: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Huixian Zeng: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Zhiyu Yang: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Yexin Li: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Huanzhu Liang: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Yingying Wu: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Lin Wen: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China
Chunxia Jing: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No. 601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy has been suggested to be associated with neurobehavioral problems in offspring. However, current epidemiological studies on the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and neurobehavioral problems among offspring, especially attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to study the relationship between PFAS exposure during pregnancy and ADHD and ASD in offspring based on meta-analyses. Online databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, were searched comprehensively for eligible studies conducted before July 2021. Eleven studies (up to 8493 participants) were included in this analysis. The pooled results demonstrated that exposure to perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) was positively associated with ADHD in the highest quartile group. Negative associations were observed between perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and ADHD/ASD, including between perfluorononanoate (PFNA) and ASD. There were no associations found between total PFAS concentration groups and neurobehavioral problems. The trial sequential analyses showed unstable results. Our findings indicated that PFOA and PFOS exposure during pregnancy might be associated with ADHD in offspring and that prenatal PFOS and PFNA exposure might be associated with ASD in offspring. According to the limited evidence obtained for most associations, additional studies are required to validate these findings.

Keywords: PFAS; ADHD; ASD; pregnancy; offspring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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