Polyfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkyl chemicals, collectively known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” are so widespread in our environment, food and drinking water, that it’s no longer surprising that 98% of Americans today have detectable levels of these chemicals in their blood.1 However, did you know that exposure starts very early in life — even before a child is born?
A recent study2 sheds light on how mothers can pass PFAS onto their unborn children, further attesting just how pervasive these chemicals are. If you’re pregnant or are planning to conceive, I advise you to read this crucial information.
Study Reveals How Forever Chemicals Can Pass Through the Placenta
A May 2024 study3 conducted by a team of researchers from the School of Public Health at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, investigated the presence of PFAS during pregnancy and lactation, particularly these chemicals’ transfer mechanisms from a mother to her unborn child. Their research provides valuable insights into the pervasiveness of PFAS before, during and after childbirth.4
Published in the journal Eco-Environment and Health, the study analyzed 16 types of PFAS and their concentrations in the blood and breastmilk of mothers, as well as the umbilical cord blood of infants. Samples were taken from 1,076 mother-child pairs and tested using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to determine their levels of forever chemicals.
The researchers found that the transfer efficiency of PFAS from the mothers’ bloodstream to the placenta was higher, meaning these chemicals were more easily transferred to the fetus through the placenta during pregnancy, as compared to breastfeeding. This proves that even before childbirth, PFAS can already accumulate in an unborn child.
“PFAS were detectable in most of the serum and colostrum samples in mother-child pairs, with the highest level of PFOS [perfluorooctane sulfonate] in maternal serum and the highest level of PFOA [perfluorooctanoic acid] detected in cord serum and breast milk. The placental and breastfeeding transfer efficiencies of PFAS are influenced by carbon chain length.
Infants can be exposed to PFAS through breastfeeding, particularly increasing the health risks of PFOS and PFOA, which necessitates further attention,” the study authors conclude.5
Moreover, PFAS can bind to transport proteins, which explains how they can transfer and spread more easily in the body.6 In an article in Medical Xpress,7 Yaqi Xu, study lead author, comments:
“Our findings are crucial for developing strategies to protect infants from the potentially harmful effects of PFAS exposure. Understanding the pathways and risks associated with these chemicals can lead to better regulatory policies and protective measures for the most susceptible among us.”
Babies Get 10 Times More PFAS From Breastmilk Than Adults Get From Food
The researchers also assessed the potential health risk of consuming PFAS from breastmilk. They looked at the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of PFAS among breastfeeding babies from different age groups, and then used the hazard quotient (HQ) to determine their risk.
They found that “the EDIs of PFAS in breastfeeding infants surpass those reported for adult dietary intake by over one order of magnitude, underscoring breastfeeding as a significant exposure route for infants.”8
To put it simply, if you compare the amount of PFAS an infant is getting from breastmilk to what a typical adult is getting from their food, the infant is getting 10 times more.
“The highest EDIs were identified in infants aged less than one month old. This implies a potential heightened susceptibility to adverse health outcomes linked to PFAS exposure within this specific age range,” the authors report.9
Breastmilk is your baby’s first food and is the most nutritious food they could receive during their first years. Breastfeeding also offers myriad health benefits to both mother and child. But along with breastmilk’s many nutrients, you could be passing on forever chemicals too, thanks to the growing toxic burden in our modern world.
PFAS Can Hinder Fetal Development and Lead to Preterm Births
While the featured study provides more insight into how PFAS can be transferred from a mother to her child, it isn’t the first to look at how these toxic chemicals can impact pregnancy and fetal development. A 2023 study10 published in Nature Communications journal, for example, claimed to be the first to detect PFAS in newborns.
Led by researchers from Emory University, the study looked at blood samples from 267 newborns between 2016 and 2020 and discovered that infants who had been exposed to large amounts of PFAS had a higher risk of being born early. According to a news article from Emory University:11
“For the first time, the study found that measurable levels of PFAS chemicals were present in blood samples from newborns shortly after birth. Because PFAS are human-made chemicals, this means the babies were exposed to PFAS while they were still in utero.”
The researchers also analyzed the biological signals from the newborns’ blood upon birth and highlighted that PFAS can obstruct the balance of certain processes in the newborns’ body, including hormone function and tissue growth. This puts them at high risk of early or preterm birth, which is now among the top five causes of infant mortality, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).12
Donghai Liang, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and senior author of the study, commented:13
“When babies are born, we would all like to think of them as a blank slate, not yet impacted by any of the negative and scary things in the world. But in this study, we found that the babies were already exposed to ‘forever chemicals’ before they were born.”
There Are Thousands of PFAS, and They’re Everywhere
PFAS have been used in consumer products since the 1950s,14 and while two of the specific chemicals noted in the Shanghai study — PFOAs and PFOS — have been phased out in the United States, many countries still use and manufacture them.15 Still, there’s no shortage of other PFAS in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) CompTox Chemicals Dashboard,16 there are now nearly 15,000 types of PFAS in existence.17 These manmade chemicals are used for a variety of applications due to their ability to repel and resist water, grease and oil.
Nonstick cookware, chemical cleaners, food packaging, water-repellent clothing and personal care items such as cosmetics are just some examples of products that use PFAS. The chemicals can leach out from these products during the manufacturing process and while they’re being used, migrating into the soil, water and air,18 harming the environment and wildlife. According to the website PFAS Free:19
“We can’t see molecules of PFAS spreading throughout our environment, but they are there. We don’t see them wrapping themselves around marine life and we don’t see them spilling out of the stomachs of sea birds, but PFAS are there and they are causing harm.”
PFAS are also absorbed by your body, and because they do not break down (hence the moniker “forever”), they can build up inside you with repeat exposure. And so far, there’s no known good way to eliminate PFAS from the body — you only get rid of them by passing them on to another person.20
Breastfeeding Is One of the Few Ways PFAS Are Removed From Your Body
Forever chemicals can stay in your blood and organs, such as the liver and kidneys. You do eliminate some through your urine and bile, but only in small amounts. However, when you breastfeed, large amounts of these PFAS go into your breastmilk and get transferred to your child. According to an article in WBUR:21
“Scientists have seen PFAS decrease when a parent passes them along to a child through the placenta or by nursing.
‘Let’s say she breastfeeds for six months, she can actually eliminate half of her body burden [of PFAS] to the child,’ said Philippe Grandjean, an adjunct professor at Harvard’s School of Public Health.”
This is troubling news, especially for breastfeeding mothers. No parent would want to intentionally pass on toxic chemicals to their children, especially with multiple studies providing evidence that these are linked to various health problems.22,23,24,25
But at the same time, you simply cannot deprive your child of the best food they can consume in their first few years of life. Halting breastfeeding could cause your child to miss out on various health benefits, most of which continue well into adulthood.
Breastmilk Is ‘Liquid Gold’ for Your Child
From a nutritional science point of view, there’s simply no dispute that breast milk is the optimal food for newborns and young infants. For one, breastfeeding has been associated with a lower risk of being overweight and obese.26
Exclusively breastfeeding also prevents the early introduction of foods that may trigger weight gain, and establishes a healthy gut microbiome, which is key for lifelong health.27
Adults who were breastfed during infancy were found to have a 26% lower risk of becoming overweight or obese, as well as a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.28 According to a 2023 study published in the BMC Public Health:29
“[E]xclusive breastfeeding for at least 90 days is associated with protection against childhood morbidity and is also significantly associated with reduced health resource use in the form of hospital admission and reduced length of hospital stay.”
In an article published by The Hill,30 Linda Birnbaum, former head of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, acknowledges the concern regarding PFAS in breastmilk, but believes that in this scenario, the benefits outweigh the risks. “I’m always stressing to people ‘breast is best,’ even if there’s contamination,” she said.
Your Best Solution — Reduce Your PFAS Exposure
Despite the risk of passing on PFAS in breastmilk, I simply do not recommend avoiding breastfeeding, as it is the ultimate health food that will provide natural lifelong immunity and other significant health benefits to your child. Instead, the best thing to do is to significantly reduce your exposure to these synthetic chemicals to lower your toxic burden and reduce the PFAS in your breastmilk.
Make it a point to only buy food from a source you know and trust, one using safe, nontoxic organic or biodynamic farming methods. Eating mostly fresh, whole foods will also help you cut down on exposure to these chemicals in food packaging.
Since PFAS have no taste or smell, you can’t detect it in consumer goods. Filtering your drinking water is important to avoid this common route of exposure. I recommend using a high-quality carbon filtration system. To ensure you’re getting the purest water you can, filter the water both at the point of entry and at the point of use.
Below are several items you need to avoid to lower your PFAS exposure. You can find additional helpful tips in the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Guide to Avoiding PFAS.”31 When you take steps to lower your exposure to forever chemicals, you are also voting with your pocketbook and making it clear that you don’t want these products that can harm your family in your home:
Items that have been pre-treated with stain repellants and opting out of such treatments when buying new furniture and carpets.
Water- and/or stain-repellent clothing — One tipoff is when an item made with artificial fibers is described as “breathable.” These are typically treated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Items treated with flame retardant chemicals, which include a wide variety of baby items, padded furniture, mattresses and pillows. Instead, opt for naturally less flammable materials such as leather, wool and cotton.
Fast food and carry-out foods, as the wrappers are typically treated with PFAS.
Microwave popcorn — PFAS may not only be present in the inner coating of the bag, it also may migrate to the oil from the packaging during heating. Instead, use “old-fashioned” stovetop popcorn.
Nonstick cookware and other treated kitchen utensils.
Oral-B Glide floss and any other personal care products containing PTFE or “fluoro” or “perfluoro” ingredients.
