Babies exposed to 'forever chemicals' in the womb more likely to be overweight, researchers say

BOSTON - A new study finds babies exposed to "forever chemicals" in the womb are more likely to be overweight.

PFAS is a group of these so-called "forever chemicals" that are found in hundreds of consumer products like food packaging, nonstick cookware, and cleaning products. These chemicals can build up in our bodies and act as hormone disruptors, and exposure can occur even before birth.

A team of researchers from around the country looked at more than 1,300 mother-child pairs and found that babies exposed to higher levels of PFAS while in the womb were more likely to be overweight or obese in early childhood. This suggests that prenatal exposure to chemicals may influence a child's growth and development and provides more reason to reduce our exposure to these toxins in our environment.

In:
• Health
• Pregnancy

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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