Perfluoroalkoxy alkane’s substances (PFAS) are human-made chemicals substances used as oil and water repellents and coatings for common products including coatings for textiles, paper products, cookware, and to formulate some firefighting foams, and have a range of applications in the aerospace, photographic imaging, and in electronics. These chemicals can easily relocate into the air, dust, food, soil, and water. PFAS disrupts endocrine and they do not break down when they are released into the environment, and they continue to accumulate over time. PFAS chemicals can have an effect on pregnancy leading to bad outcomes, the timing of puberty, and other aspects of reproductive health.
“Our findings are crucial due to the fact that almost every human being on the planet is exposed to PFAS. These man-made chemicals gather in our bodies and have adverse results on reproductive health. Early undesirable weaning has been traditionally attributed to psychological factors, which are important, but hopefully, our study will help shift the focus and highlight that not all mothers can breastfeed regardless of their good intentions and support from family and healthcare professionals."
The earlier studies have also proven that there are possible adverse health effects associated with PFAS exposure, such as liver damage, thyroid disease, reduced fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression, and even cancer.
The researchers examined blood samples for PFAS and prolactin concentrations from up to 1,286 pregnant women from the Odense Child Cohort. The women provided statistics about the duration of breastfeeding in weekly textual contents or questionnaires at three and eighteen months postpartum. The researchers have discovered women with higher levels of PFAS in their system were 20% more likely to stop breastfeeding early.
"Because breastfeeding is important to promote both child and maternal health, adverse PFAS effects on the ability to breastfeed may also have long-term health consequences," Timbermen said.