Escaping the toxic cradle

Chemicals in everyday items impact pregnancy, affecting children’s health; research calls for continued monitoring.

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For the nine long, often challenging months of pregnancy, expectant mothers navigate a deluge of health advice — eat well, take the right supplements, exercise regularly (but not too much). And let’s not forget the crucial focus on mental well-being. Yet, emerging research is revealing that a mother’s environment plays a pivotal role in shaping her child’s future health, far beyond diet and mindfulness.

Enter per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of man-made chemicals ubiquitous in our daily lives. Found in everything from non-stick cookware to stain-resistant carpets, PFAS have silently permeated our environment, leaving a trail of health concerns in their wake. These chemicals don’t just vanish; they persist in our surroundings and accumulate in our bodies, with potential implications for both newborns and adults.

“PFAS constitute a large family of man-made chemicals that persist for a long time in the environment and can accumulate in our bodies,” explains Ling-Wei Chen, Adjunct Research Scientist and lead author of a groundbreaking study on this issue.

This growing body of evidence has prompted governments worldwide to tackle the PFAS dilemma. In the United States, the Biden-Harris…