Did mommy's chemical exposure during pregnancy cause autism or intellectual disability?
Prenatal Exposure to Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals in Relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
No dose-response relationship — even high levels of chemicals didn’t increase risk.
Most toxicology assumes 'the dose makes the poison,' so finding zero trend — even at high exposure — contradicts expectations and some prior studies.
Practical Takeaways
Pregnant women can feel more at ease about exposure to common environmental chemicals like PFAS and PCBs based on this evidence.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
No dose-response relationship — even high levels of chemicals didn’t increase risk.
Most toxicology assumes 'the dose makes the poison,' so finding zero trend — even at high exposure — contradicts expectations and some prior studies.
Practical Takeaways
Pregnant women can feel more at ease about exposure to common environmental chemicals like PFAS and PCBs based on this evidence.
Publication
Journal
Epidemiology
Year
2019
Authors
G. Hamra, K. Lyall, G. Windham, A. Calafat, A. Sjödin, H. Volk, L. Croen
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Claims (6)
Kids who are exposed to certain harmful chemicals in the environment might have a harder time controlling their impulses or stopping themselves from doing something they shouldn't.
Being exposed to certain chemicals during pregnancy — like ones found in old flame retardants or non-stick pans — doesn’t seem to raise the chances of a child having intellectual disability, according to this study.
Chemicals in mom's blood during pregnancy — like those from old electronics or non-stick pans — don’t seem to affect the chances of having a child with autism or intellectual disability, based on how much of them were in the blood.
A study looked at 25 chemicals during pregnancy and found they affect boys and girls the same when it comes to autism or intellectual disability — there's no difference based on sex.
Exposure to certain chemicals during pregnancy, like those found in old electronics or non-stick pans, doesn’t seem to raise the chances of a child having autism, according to a study looking at mom’s blood during pregnancy.