Associations of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and childhood…

Cohort studyEnvironmental health : a global access science source· Jul 2026

Associations of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and childhood vaccine-induced immunity.

Anna Smith, Pi-I D Lin, Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman … Andres Cardenas

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Pediatric Infection & VaccinationCohort studyQ1IF 6.9

Higher prenatal MeFOSSA levels linked to lower childhood pertussis antibody titers.

Associations of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and childhood vaccine-induced immunity.

Anna Smith … Andres Cardenas

Environmental health · Jul 2026 · Q1 in General Medicine

Background

Plasma per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (polyfluoroalkyl substances) are associated with immune dysfunction, including childhood antibody response.

Methods

We measured six polyfluoroalkyl substances (EtFOSSA, MeFOSSA, PFHxS, PFNA, PFOA, PFOS) in first trimester plasma from participants in the longitudinal Project Viva cohort, recruited 1999-2002 in eastern Massachusetts.

n = 333

Results

higher exposure linked to weaker pertussis immunity in children

β 0.02 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.04)

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

Median [interquartile range (IQR)] age at antibody titer blood draw was 7.7 years (7.4, 8.4), and children received their most recent measles, mumps, rubella or diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis dose at median (IQR) 4.3 years (4.1, 5.0).

More results

The polyfluoroalkyl substances mixture was associated with lower antibody titers, except for measles, although none of the associations reached statistical significance.

A one unit (ng/mL) increase in EtFOSSA was associated with higher measles antibody titers [β = 0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01, 0.04 antibody (Ab) index].

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

While the prenatal polyfluoroalkyl substances mixture was not significantly associated with childhood antibody titers in our cohort, we observed individual associations between EtFOSSA and higher measles antibody titers and MeFOSSA and lower pertussis antibody titers.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Overall, we found limited evidence of associations between first trimester plasma polyfluoroalkyl substances and mid-childhood antibody titers in our cohort.

Associations of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and childhood vaccine-induced immunity.

Associations of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and childhood vaccine-induced immunity.

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