Anti-stick and development of children

PFC is widely used in consumer products with anti-stick and anti-stain properties that do not affect the baby's weight from birth until he was 7 years old, according to Reuters.

Previous studies have shown that exposure to PFCs , such as perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), reduces male birth weight and increases the risk of obesity in adult males.

PFC chemicals used in non-stick cooking utensils - (pic: Shutterstock)

To find out if these chemicals affect the baby's developmental status at birth, Camilla Schou Andersen and colleagues at the University Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg in Denmark tracked 800 children from birth to 7 years old.

The team collected blood samples from pregnant mothers and blood from umbilical cord at birth to determine the concentrations of PFCs that children exposed to in the womb. Seven years later, the baby was measured in body size.

The research team found that PFC chemicals that children exposed before birth did not affect the baby's development until the baby was seven, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

However, it is likely that PFC chemicals will affect children more after 7 years of age, the team said.