The need for further research into prenatal GLY exposure, its impact on neurodevelopment, and potential exposure through breastmilk is highlighted, as divergent patterns by analyte were observed.
Abstract
Background: Glyphosate (GLY)-based herbicides are widely used globally, and GLY and its degradant aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) have been associated with impaired neurogenesis and synaptogenesis in toxicological studies. Additionally, breastfeeding supports neurodevelopment, but limited research on GLY in human milk makes its role as an infant exposure source unclear. Methods: The study population comprised mother-child pairs (n = 284) enrolled between 2011 and 2017 in the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats birth cohort in Puerto Rico and its follow-up studies. Prenatal urinary GLY and AMPA were measured up to three times per individual, adjusted for specific gravity, and summarized as geometric means. Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2nd edition in Spanish, at multiple points through age four. Linear mixed-effects and generalized least squares linear models examined associations with GLY/AMPA, including an interaction term for exclusive breastfeeding duration (<90 vs. ≥90 days; n = 109); results are expressed as percent change per interquartile range increase in GLY/AMPA. Results: GLY was associated with cognitive (%change: −2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −4.3, −0.9) and communication (%change: −2.5; 95% CI = −5.0, −0.1) Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2nd edition scores. AMPA was associated with cognitive (%change: −2.8; 95% CI = −4.7, −0.9), communication (%change: −3.1; 95% CI = −5.7, −0.4), motor (%change: −1.8; 95% CI = −3.1, −0.4), and personal-social (%change: −2.0; 95% CI = −3.7, −0.3) scores. We found no significant effect modification by breastfeeding duration, though divergent patterns by analyte were observed. Conclusions: These exploratory findings highlight the need for further research into prenatal GLY exposure, its impact on neurodevelopment, and potential exposure through breastmilk.
BACKGROUND
Emerging data suggests that glyphosate, a non-selective herbicide, can influence reproductive health. We investigated associations of prenatal exposure to glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), with preterm birth and its subtypes.
METHODS
We used data from the NYU Children's Health and Environmental Study, a prospective birth cohort in New York City (2016-2019). Participants (n=1450) provided urine samples at 4 to <18 weeks and 18 to 25 weeks gestation. Exposure was adjusted for creatinine and natural log transformed. Preterm birth was defined as a birth occurring before 37 weeks of gestation. We also explored preterm birth subtypes, spontaneous preterm births and medically indicated preterm births as secondary outcomes. To examine associations between glyphosate and AMPA at both timepoints with preterm birth, we used generalized estimating equations with a logit link function.
RESULTS
Overall, 7% (n=103) of births were preterm. Glyphosate concentrations at 18-25 weeks was associated with preterm birth (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.76) and spontaneous preterm birth (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.90). AMPA was not associated with preterm birth in any model.
CONCLUSIONS
These results support evidence that glyphosate may act upon pathways leading to preterm birth and spontaneous preterm birth. Our study highlights pregnancy as a vulnerable period to glyphosate exposure.
Teresa Herrera, Fiona Fragoman, A. Ghassabian et al.· Environmental Pollution· 1 citation
Prenatal TBEP exposure was associated with greater behavioral problems in early childhood, and Alter neonatal gut microbiota and related metabolic pathways may partly underlie this association.
Yuhan Zhou, Liyi Zhang, Qiang Li et al.· Environmental Research· 0 citations
Neurodevelopmental benefits of seafood consumption are inconclusive. In a Swedish mother-child cohort, seafood intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaires at gestational week (GW)34 and four years and by seafood biomarkers (methylmercury, arsenobetaine, long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids [n-3 LCPUFAs]) at GW29, birth, and four years. Maternal and child seafood intake (median: 184 and 138 g/week, respectively) was not associated with cognitive abilities (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Fourth Edition, WPSI-IV) or behavioral problems (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL and Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition, SRS-2) at four years. However, maternal urinary arsenobetaine and erythrocyte arsenic, strongly correlated to each other, were associated with verbal abilities (B [95% CI] 0.5 [-0.0, 1.1] and 1.0 [-0.0, 2.0], per exposure doubling, respectively), as was children's erythrocyte arsenic (full-scale IQ: 1.4 [0.3, 2.5], verbal: 1.9 [0.5, 3.4]), and maternal and child erythrocyte mercury (verbal comprehension: 1.0 [-0.2, 2.2] and 1.0 [-0.3, 2.4], respectively). Maternal erythrocyte DHA and total n-3 LCPUFAs showed non-linear associations with verbal abilities (4.4 [1.0, 7.9] per IQR [1.73%, >4.2%] and 1.3 [0.1, 2.6] per 1% [>6.0%], respectively). Gestational erythrocyte and particularly newborn mercury were associated with less behavioral problems (total CBCL: B [95% CI] -0.5 [-1.3, 0.2] and -1.0 [-1.6, -0.4], per exposure doubling, respectively). In conclusion, seafood biomarkers, predominantly arsenobetaine and n-3 LCPUFAs, but not reported intake, confirmed neurodevelopmental benefits of seafood consumption in a population with below-recommended intake levels.
M. Kampouri, Mia Stråvik, Sven Bölte et al.· Environmental Research· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Evidence on the neurodevelopmental impacts of postnatal exposure to current-use pesticides (CUPs) remains fragmented. This systematic review synthesises the international epidemiological evidence linking chronic postnatal CUP exposure with neurocognitive (NC), neurobehavioural (NB), and neurological (N_) outcomes in children and adolescents.
METHODS
Following PRISMA 2020 (PROSPERO-CRD42021258519), we searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and EBSCOhost for epidemiological studies published between January 2010 and July 2025 assessing postnatal CUP exposure and NC, NB, or N_ outcomes in individuals aged 0-21 years. Data extraction captured exposure metrics, outcome domains, study design, and methodological quality. Findings were narratively synthesised using age- and domain-organised tables and direction-of-association plots.
RESULTS
Sixty-six epidemiological studies met the inclusion criteria, spanning diverse settings but with limited representation from low-income low- and middle-income countries (LMICs; n = 9), including only one study from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Study designs were predominantly cross-sectional (n=35) or longitudinal (n=23), and exposure assessment relied largely on biomonitoring (n=52). Across neurodevelopmental domains, 118 unique exposure-outcome findings were identified (NC n=41; NB n=47; N_ n=30). Statistically significant adverse associations comprised 53.7% of NC (22/41), 57.4% of NB (27/47), and 53.3% of N_ findings (16/30). Null findings remained substantial (NC 39.0%, NB 27.7%, N_ 36.7%), while non-significant adverse associations were less frequent (5.0-13.0%). Positive associations were rare (≤2.5%).
CONCLUSIONS
The evidence suggests potential associations between postnatal exposure to CUPs and adverse NC, NB, and N_ outcomes in children, although certainty is limited by methodological constraints. Future research should prioritise longitudinal designs, incorporate mixture modelling, and employ culturally and developmentally valid neurodevelopmental measures, particularly in underrepresented low-income LMICs and SSA settings.
P. Viglietti, Alexanda Goldberg, K. Rousseau et al.· Neurotoxicology· 0 citations
Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may be associated with child neurodevelopment, but evidence based on fetal-proximal exposure biomarkers, mixture effects, and domain-specific outcomes remains limited.
In the Shanghai Birth Cohort (
n
= 1,668 mother-child pairs), we quantified 32 PFAS compounds in umbilical cord blood and assessed neurodevelopment at 24 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III). Associations were evaluated using adjusted single-pollutant regression models as the primary analyses. Developmental risk defined as BSID-III composite score < 90 was evaluated as a complementary outcome, and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to evaluate PFAS mixture associations.
Nineteen PFAS compounds had detection rates greater than 65% and were included in association analyses. In adjusted single-pollutant models, several long-chain PFAS were inversely associated with cognitive and language scores. PFNA was associated with lower cognitive (β = −5.39, 95% CI: −7.22, − 3.57) and language scores (β = −3.62, 95% CI: −4.94, − 2.31), as well as higher odds of cognitive developmental risk defined as BSID-III score < 90 (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.71). PFUdA, PFTrDA, and PFDoA showed similar inverse associations. The emerging substitute 8:2 Cl-PFESA was also inversely associated with cognitive (β = −1.86, 95% CI: −2.52, − 1.19) and language scores (β = −1.21, 95% CI: −1.68, − 0.73). PFHxA was positively associated with cognitive (β = 1.53), language (β = 0.83), and motor scores (β = 1.15), and PFOA was positively associated with cognitive scores (β = 3.37). In negative-direction WQS regression, the PFAS mixture index was inversely associated with cognitive (β = −4.66, 95% CI: −6.51, − 2.80) and language scores (β = −3.14, 95% CI: −4.65, − 1.63), whereas associations with motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior scores were less consistent. No consistent associations were observed for social-emotional or adaptive behavior domains after FDR correction.
Higher cord blood concentrations of selected long-chain PFAS and 8:2 Cl-PFESA were associated with lower cognitive and language performance at 24 months. WQS regression also suggested inverse mixture associations with cognitive and language scores, but these mixture findings should be interpreted cautiously because WQS is directionally constrained and single-pollutant results were not uniformly in the same direction. These findings support continued evaluation of legacy and emerging PFAS in relation to early neurodevelopment.
Yiming Li, Bin Wu, Shiyang Li et al.· Environmental Health· 0 citations
Bile acids (BAs) are crucial signaling molecules in neurodevelopment, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure has been linked to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, the role of specific BAs in modifying the association between PFAS and longitudinal neurodevelopmental trajectories remains unknown. We quantified 32 PFAS in maternal serum and 17 BAs in serum from 3-year-old children in the Maoming Birth Cohort. Neurodevelopment was repeatedly evaluated using age-standardized instruments. PFAS effects were evaluated by logistic regression and grouped weighted quantile sum (GWQS). Random forest analysis identified six primary conjugated BAs associated with low neurodevelopmental trajectories, and their interactions with PFAS were assessed. Group-based trajectory modeling identified two neurodevelopmental trajectories: persistently high (n = 242) and low (n = 36). Higher prenatal levels of legacy PFAS were associated with low neurodevelopmental trajectories. GWQS regression revealed mixture effects for legacy PFAS [odds ratio (OR) = 2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-4.73]. Primary conjugated BAs [e.g., taurocholic acid (TCA), taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA)] modified the observed associations. The odds of perfluorooctane sulfonate-associated low neurodevelopmental trajectories were greater for children with lower TCDCA levels (OR = 2.70; 95%CI: 1.02-7.17; Pfor interaction = 0.0063) than for those with higher levels. Children with higher TCA levels exhibited lower odds of low neurodevelopmental trajectories than those with lower levels (Pfor interaction = 0.0088). Our findings provide longitudinal evidence on PFAS-related lower neurodevelopment and identify primary conjugated BAs as significant effect modifiers. The mechanisms underlying this effect modification require further investigation.
Qiong Zhang, Yan-Xi Li, Hua-Lian Chen et al.· Journal of Environmental Exp...· 0 citations
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