Abstract:
Objective To investigate the association between prenatal perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure and preterm birth (PTB) and its influencing factors, and to provide a scientific basis for PTB prevention and health management of the newborns.
Methods The study population comprised 1 269 pregnant women who received prenatal care and delivered at the Maoming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Guangdong Province, China between January 2015 and December 2018. Late-pregnancy blood samples, along with questionnaire data and neonatal data, were collected. The PFAS concentrations in the blood samples were measured, and the multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between PFAS and PTB. The influencing factors for the association were explored by the hierarchical regression method.
Results Prenatal exposure to PFAS increased the risk of PTB. The risk of PTB increased by 46% (95% confidence interval CI: 25%, 71%), 46% (95%CI: 26%, 70%), and 28% (95%CI: 11%, 48%) for each ln-unit increase of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and branched and linear perfluorooctane sulfonate, respectively. Moreover, the delivery mode, employment status, and family income had significant interactions with most PFASs on the risk of PTB (Pinter < 0.1), and the strong association between PFOA and PTB was found in the groups of parity < 2 and pre-body mass index (BMI) < 18.5.
Conclusion Prenatal exposure to PFAS increases the risk of PTB, and the pre-BMI, parity, delivery mode, employment status, and family income of the pregnant women influence the association between PFAS and PTB.