Prenatal PFAS exposure, placental changes, and whether maternal exercise helps infants' growth and development
Perinatal PFAS Impact Children's Development: Examining the Roles of Placental Functional Multiomics and Protection by Maternal Exercise
This project looks at whether PFAS chemical exposure before and after birth changes babies' growth, body fat, and early thinking skills, and whether a mother's physical activity during pregnancy can reduce those effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11239102 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you enroll, researchers will follow pregnant people and their babies from birth through early childhood and collect samples like maternal blood, cord blood, and placenta tissue. They'll measure PFAS chemical levels and use advanced 'multiomics' lab tests on the placenta to look for biological changes linked to exposure. The team will also record mothers' physical activity during pregnancy and track infants' growth, body composition, and early developmental milestones over time. Data will be combined to see whether placental changes explain child outcomes and whether maternal exercise appears protective.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people willing to provide biological samples (blood, placenta, cord blood) and to bring their infant for follow-up visits during early childhood.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, are unwilling to provide samples or attend follow-up visits, or who have no meaningful PFAS exposure are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to biological signs to monitor and suggest that maternal exercise might reduce PFAS-related harm to infants.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked prenatal PFAS to differences in growth and development and the investigators have preliminary data on placental changes and a possible benefit of maternal activity, but combining placental multiomics with exercise as a protective factor is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Little Rock, United States
- Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst — Little Rock, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Andres, Aline — Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Andres, Aline
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.