‘Forever chemicals’ linked to gut inflammation in children after early exposure

‘Pfas are known to be particularly dangerous for developing children, and prenatal or early childhood exposure is linked to a range of diseases, from reproductive harms to ADHD.’ Photograph: SDI Productions/Getty Images

Prenatal and early life exposure to Pfas mixtures is probably linked to higher levels of intestinal inflammation in children, new first-of-its-kind research shows. Intestinal inflammation can cause inflammatory bowel disease, like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and colorectal cancer.

While Pfas has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal inflammation in adults, the new peer-reviewed Mt Sinai study is the first to look at how the chemicals impact children during a critical developmental phase.