The serum concentrations of perfluoroalkyl compounds were inversely associated with growth parameters in 2-year old children

The relationship between the serum concentrations of perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) and growth parameters was investigated in 2-year-old Korean children. The study included 361 children aged 2 years (192 boys and 169 girls; 22–27 months), born at term appropriate-for-gestational-age, who visited between 2012 and 2013. Growth parameters of height and weight, and serum samples were collected from 2-year-old children. Four PFCs (perfluorohexane sulfonic acid [PFHxS], perfluorooctane sulfonic acid [PFOS], perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA], and perfluorononanoic acid [PFNA]), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) were detected in >99, 93.4, 89.8, and 74.2% of the serum samples, respectively. The duration of breastfeeding was positively associated with the serum concentrations of ln-transformed PFHxS, PFOS, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, and PFUnDA (all P < 0.001). Height at 2 years of age was inversely related to PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and PFDA concentrations (adjusted β per ln unit [95% confidence interval, CI]: −0.84 [−1.26, −0.42], −0.77 [−1.27, −0.15], −0.91 [−1.36, −0.47], −0.48 [−1.40, −0.51], and −0.44 [−0.77, −0.10] cm, respectively), after adjusting for age, sex, and midparental height. Weight at 2 years of age was inversely associated with PFNA (adjusted β per ln unit [95% CI]: –0.32 [−0.48, −0.15] kg), after adjusting for age, sex, and parental BMI. In conclusion, the serum concentrations of PFCs were inversely associated with growth parameters in 2-year-old children.