Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and anthropometric measures in the first year of life: Results from the Duisburg Birth Cohort

ABSTRACTIn the context of the Duisburg Birth Cohort, this retrospective cohort studyprovides results of internal exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid(PFOS), and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) in 156 mother–child pairs, and investigates whether and to what extent in utero exposure of these chemicals at German background levels exerts an effect on newborn and infant weight and length, and weight in relation to length expressed by ponderal index, in order to examine whether any reduction in weight is disproportionate to length. The levels of PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS were determined in 81 maternal and 83 umbilical cordstored frozen plasma samples and 105 umbilical cordblood samples. Calculated factors were used to convert umbilical cordvalues to maternal levels. Weights and lengths were retrieved at birth and at 1, 4, 6, and 12 mo from examination booklets and ponderal index (kg/m3) was calculated. Subsequently, correlations were assessed using multiple linear regres...