Effects of Early-Life PFAS Exposure on Child Neurodevelopment: A Review of the Evidence and Research Gaps
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PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals with many modern applications, leading to widespread contamination and universal human exposure. PFAS exposure during early life is of particular concern, given susceptibility of the developing fetal and infant brain to toxic exposures. This review aims to synthesize current evidence, discuss methodological challenges, and highlight research gaps to guide future studies on the impact of PFAS on neurodevelopment. RECENT FINDINGS: Sixty-one studies in total were published from 2008 to March 2024, with 35 in the last five years. Findings primarily link early life PFAS exposure to reduced cognitive, motor, and language development in infancy and increased behavioral issues like hyperactivity in childhood. Large studies have shown mixed results concerning child cognition, executive function, autism, and ADHD, with some indicating no association or unexpected protective findings. Sex-specific associations have been observed, but not consistently. Most research has addressed low-level exposure, suggesting subtle but potentially significant population-wide neurodevelopmental effects. Recent research also highlights concerns about newer, alternative PFAS, suggesting they too might affect neurodevelopment. The effects of early-life PFAS exposure on neurodevelopment merit further study, particularly the cumulative effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures. Research has not fully explored sensitive subgroups or potential mitigating factors such as breastfeeding and nutrient intake, which will require larger, more diverse samples. Future directions include deeper study of PFAS mixtures, interactions with other neurotoxic environmental chemicals, and effects of newer PFAS types. There is also a need to focus on neuropsychological functioning in later childhood, using direct assessments for more reliable evaluations.
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A comprehensive review of 61 studies (2008-March 2024) consistently linked prenatal and early childhood PFAS exposure to poorer cognitive, motor, and language outcomes in infants, as well as increased behavioral issues in childhood.
“A comprehensive review of 61 studies (2008–March 2024), including 35 from the past five years, consistently linked prenatal and early childhood PFAS exposure to poorer cognitive, motor, and language outcomes in infants, as well as increased behavioral issues in childhood [92].”
From Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Healthcare: Environmental and Clinical Insights (2025) · cites this paper as [92]
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Early-life PFAS exposure induces systemic metabolic alterations in plasma and brain in micePreprint
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- Authors
- Ames, J. L., Sharma, V., & Lyall, K.
- Affiliations
- Kaiser Permanente (US)
- Drexel University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ames, Jennifer L
- Venue
- Current Environmental Health Reports
- Published
- 2025-01-31
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 9-9
- ISSN
- 2196-5412 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11785707
- OpenAlex
- W4407042964
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 93
- Citations by year
- 2026: 48 · 2025: 20
- FWCI
- 5.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Environmental Health Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R00ES032481)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS exposure, early life exposure, child neurodevelopment, cognitive development, motor development, language development, hyperactivity, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, executive function, sex differences, prenatal exposure, postnatal exposure, breastfeeding, nutrient intake, PFAS mixtures, environmental neurotoxins, neuropsychological assessment
- MeSH terms
- Evidence Gaps, Child, Child Development, Child, Preschool, Environmental Exposure, Environmental Pollutants, Female, Fluorocarbons, Humans, Infant, Pregnancy, Neurodevelopmental Disorders
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