A recent study reveals that babies exposed to particular chemicals in the womb have a higher chance of gaining weight quickly during early infancy. The study was published last week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
The study found a link between uterine exposure to endocrine-disrupting substances and a rapid increase in a child’s body mass index from birth to 9 years of age.
What exactly are the chemicals?
The study discovered that polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” are to blame for an unborn child’s childhood weight growth. These compounds are derived from fungicides and insecticides and break down gradually throughout the body.
These compounds can be found in commonplace things such as nonstick cookware, cosmetics, and plastic food containers, as well as in some meat and fish if the animals were exposed to contaminated land or water. Cloning natural hormones allows them to interact with human endocrine systems.
How was the study carried out?
The study’s findings are based on data collected from over 1900 pairs of mothers and children in Spain between 20023 and 2008. The woman, whose race was not disclosed, provided blood and urine samples during her pregnancy, which the researchers used to calculate the concentration of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in her body. The scientists then tested their children’s BMI at various points up to the age of nine.
The investigation found that newborns exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals before birth were more likely to be born smaller than the study group’s average, and then had rapid growth during their childhood.
Exposure to two chemicals, in particular, was also linked to an increased risk of rapid BMI gain after a baby was born larger than average.
What is the relationship between these substances and childhood obesity?
According to the study’s primary author, Parisa Montazeri, one possible explanation for the association is that endocrine-disrupting chemicals can mimic or inhibit hormones involved in breaking down food for energy, which can affect the body’s hunger cues or sensitivity to sugar and fats.
“This is what can cause some of those weight issues,” she said.
According to Montazeri, a scientific coordinator at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, a rapid increase in BMI during childhood is connected to adult health difficulties such as obesity, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Identifying early risk factors for health problems may allow clinicians to intervene earlier and reduce the chance of disease later in life.
“It also contributes to explaining a piece of the puzzle as to why obesity is on the rise,” Montazeri said, though she noted that endocrine-disrupting chemicals are just “one aspect that helps explain this phenomenon, along with the typical sedentary lifestyle and eating.”
