A chemical used in the manufacture of some non-stick cookware and water resistant fabrics has been linked to the birth of bigger babies.
Since the 1940s, Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAA) have been used for a wide variety of industrial applications, such as water-resistant clothing, fire-fighting foam and non-stick pans.
Traces of PFAAs found in the blood of pregnant women has previously been linked to the birth of smaller babies.
But new research published in the journal Science of the Total Environment has found that the related PFAA chemical Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) is actually associated with higher birth weights as well.
Lead researcher Dr Anna Callan from Edith Cowan University says the results of their study is significant because having either a lower or higher birth weight have been associated with chronic disease later in life.
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"Higher birth weights have been linked with an increased risk of childhood obesity," said Dr Callan.
"This research emphasises the importance of us really understanding the effects that chemicals used in industrial processes have on us and our children," she said.
Researchers at ECU's School of Medical and health Sciences and School of Science undertook a study of 14 PFAAs in blood from 98 pregnant women in Western Australia from 2008 to 2011.
Infants born to women with the highest Perfluorohexane sultanate (PFHxS) exposure had increased odds of being less than 95 per cent of their optimal birth weight.
High maternal blood concentrations of PFUnDA were associated with significant increases of the optimal birth weight.
"This study has reported a range of PFAAs in the whole blood of pregnant women and suggests that PFHxS and PFUnDA may influence foetal growth and warrant further attention," the authors wrote.
A further study is now being planned to examine the long-term impacts of prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances.
"This is particularly important because many of these chemicals can persist in the environment and in our bodies for decades after their use has been stopped," said Dr Callan.
