Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and child health

• Autores: Cyntia Beatriz Manzano Salgado
• Directores de la Tesis: Martine Vrijheid (dir. tes.), María Isabel Casas Sanahuja (codir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universitat Pompeu Fabra ( España ) en 2017
• Idioma: español
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Manolis Kogevinas (presid.), María Adoración Romaguera Bosch (secret.), Cathrine Thomsen (voc.)
• Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Biomedicina por la Universidad Pompeu Fabra
• Materias:
  • Ciencias médicas
    • Epidemiología
    • Salud publica
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en: TDX
• Resumen

  • Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are synthetic chemicals commonly used in industrial and commercial products including consumer care products, fire-fighting foams, ski wax, and oil- and water-repellents for leather, paper, and textiles. Prenatal PFAS exposure may modulate fetal growth, fat accumulation, metabolic function, and immune response yet evidence coming from birth cohort studies is limited. In this thesis, we first evaluated the transfer of PFAS from mother to fetus and the determinants of maternal PFAS exposure during pregnancy. This led us to the main objective of this thesis, to evaluate the association between prenatal exposure to PFAS and child health, specifically: fetal growth and preterm birth, obesity and cardiometabolic risk, and immune and respiratory health in early and mid-childhood. Data from the “Infancia y Medioambiente” (INMA) population-based Spanish birth cohort was used. The results from the this thesis indicate that PFOA can cross the placental barrier more efficiently than other PFAS, and that mothers were ubiquitously exposed to PFOS and PFOA during the years 2003-2008. Prenatal PFAS concentrations were mainly determined by maternal country of birth, region of residence, previous breastfeeding, parity, and age. We found little and inconsistent evidence for an association between prenatal PFAS exposure and child health outcomes (i.e. fetal growth and preterm birth, obesity and cardiometabolic risk, and immune and respiratory health). Prospective studies with follow-ups beyond mid-childhood are recommended.