A mixture of perfluorinated substances in the mother can significantly inhibit the growth of the baby inside the womb, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
They make many everyday things easier, such as keeping children's feet dry in waterproofed boots, stopping the meatballs sticking to the frying pan and making it easier to clean the carpet.
Rotating Shift Work Can Lead to Reduced Fetal Growth, Longer Pregnancies
Shift work: Rotating night and day shifts for mothers is associated with reduced fetal growth and longer pregnancies, reveals a new study.
Advertisement
‘Combination of perfluorinated substances in the mother can affect the growth and development of the fetus inside the womb.’
Tweet it Now
But these environmental chemicals, the perfluorinated substances, have a wide range of damaging effects, with the most recent turning out to be reduced growth in fetuses.
This is shown by a new study in which researchers from Aarhus University have examined the cocktail effect of the chemicals, leading to findings which are both significant and alarming according to Professor Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Joergensen from the Department of Public Health.
![Spotting Fetal Growth Problems Early Could Cut Stillbirths]( "Spotting Fetal Growth Problems Early Could Cut Stillbirths")
Detecting foetal growth in the womb early could reduce stillbirths in UK and save 600 babies a year, say researchers.
"The perfluorinated substances can mimic the hormone estrogen and can, therefore, disrupt the body's natural hormonal processes including the development of the fetus. We can see that the complex mix of perfluorinated substances in the mother impairs fetal growth and length," she says.
Researchers had previously only studied the individual impact of the substances on the fetus, and these results had not been entirely clear-cut.
Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Joergensen and her research colleagues have developed a new method for extracting and isolating the contents of the substances from the blood and then subsequently determining the combined endocrine disrupting effect of the substances - popularly called the cocktail effect - on the development of the fetus.
"When it comes to the overall effect, the calculation is not 1+1=2, but rather 1+1=3. Low birth weight can lead to a number of diseases later in life, but we still lack specific knowledge about how the children who are exposed to the substances subsequently develop," says Bonefeld-Joergensen.
She is currently waiting for an answer to an application for a foundation grant to carry out the necessary follow-up studies on the ongoing development of these children.
The researchers have examined blood samples from 702 pregnant Danish women who were registered in the database "Aarhus Children's Biobank." Such thorough studies of the concentration of perfluorinated substances and their biological effect in pregnant woman have not been done previously, but the study is nevertheless in line with previous research in the area. The substances have furthermore been associated with a range of issues including breast cancer, fertility problems, ADHD, the risk of asthma, a weakened immune system and the reduced effect of vaccines.
The harmful environmental chemicals accumulate in the body and are not easily degradable. They are fat, and water repellent and are found in our food, in the air we breathe, in dust and water and in a wide range of everyday products such as, e.g. waterproof clothing, food packaging, furniture textiles, and make-up. Only a few of the almost one thousand different perfluorinated substances are presently regulated by law, and there is no product labeling requirement.
"As a consumer, you have to ask in the store. Products with these toxic substances are popular, but we pay the price with our children's and our own health if we don't avoid these products," says the researcher.
The area is regulated by the EU, but the Minister for Environment and Food, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen (the Danish Liberal Party), has recently announced that he will explore the possibility of a national ban on the substances in cardboard and paper for food packaging.
The new study is part of Aarhus University's Fetotox project, which studies the impact of perfluorinated substances on women and children.
The research results - more information:
Source: Eurekalert
Spotting Fetal Growth Problems Early Could Cut Stillbirths
Detecting foetal growth in the womb early could reduce stillbirths in UK and save 600 babies a year, say researchers.
Advertisement
"The perfluorinated substances can mimic the hormone estrogen and can, therefore, disrupt the body's natural hormonal processes including the development of the fetus. We can see that the complex mix of perfluorinated substances in the mother impairs fetal growth and length," she says.
Researchers had previously only studied the individual impact of the substances on the fetus, and these results had not been entirely clear-cut.
Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Joergensen and her research colleagues have developed a new method for extracting and isolating the contents of the substances from the blood and then subsequently determining the combined endocrine disrupting effect of the substances - popularly called the cocktail effect - on the development of the fetus.
"When it comes to the overall effect, the calculation is not 1+1=2, but rather 1+1=3. Low birth weight can lead to a number of diseases later in life, but we still lack specific knowledge about how the children who are exposed to the substances subsequently develop," says Bonefeld-Joergensen.
She is currently waiting for an answer to an application for a foundation grant to carry out the necessary follow-up studies on the ongoing development of these children.
The researchers have examined blood samples from 702 pregnant Danish women who were registered in the database "Aarhus Children's Biobank." Such thorough studies of the concentration of perfluorinated substances and their biological effect in pregnant woman have not been done previously, but the study is nevertheless in line with previous research in the area. The substances have furthermore been associated with a range of issues including breast cancer, fertility problems, ADHD, the risk of asthma, a weakened immune system and the reduced effect of vaccines.
The harmful environmental chemicals accumulate in the body and are not easily degradable. They are fat, and water repellent and are found in our food, in the air we breathe, in dust and water and in a wide range of everyday products such as, e.g. waterproof clothing, food packaging, furniture textiles, and make-up. Only a few of the almost one thousand different perfluorinated substances are presently regulated by law, and there is no product labeling requirement.
"As a consumer, you have to ask in the store. Products with these toxic substances are popular, but we pay the price with our children's and our own health if we don't avoid these products," says the researcher.
The area is regulated by the EU, but the Minister for Environment and Food, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen (the Danish Liberal Party), has recently announced that he will explore the possibility of a national ban on the substances in cardboard and paper for food packaging.
The new study is part of Aarhus University's Fetotox project, which studies the impact of perfluorinated substances on women and children.
The research results - more information:
- The study is a cross-sectional study of pregnant women in Aarhus during the period 2011-2013.
- The partners involved in the study from the Department of Public Health, Aarhus University were: Christian Bjerregaard-Olesen, Manhai Long, Maria Wielsoee, Bodil Hammer Bech and Joern Olsen. And from the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University: Cathrine Carlsen Bach and Tine Brink Henriksen.
Source: Eurekalert
Specific Natural Killer Cells Promote Fetal Growth During Pregnancy
Uterine natural killer cells secrete growth factors pleiotrophin and osteoglycin that promote fetal growth and prevent retardation during early pregnant months.
Advertisement
 Non-invasive Technique To Identify Fetal Growth Restriction in UterusThe 3D-MRI helps diagnose FGR and estimates of birth weight using structural MRI images of the placental architecture in vivo. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Research News
The International Space Station will be used to carry out experiments seeking to improve understanding of incurable child brain tumors and the muscle aging process.
How many people in the UK have misophonia? In a representative sample study, most people had at least some irritation upon hearing trigger sounds.
Routine eye-checkups and mass screenings enable early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Late-stage glaucoma diagnosis leads to blindness.
Brain plasticity following blindness leads to superior ability in sensing signals from the heart, which has implications for bodily awareness and emotional processing.
A group of scientists were awarded £1.3 million to create a new “point of care testing” kit that detects Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.