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Severe Exposure to ‘Forever Chemicals’ During Pregnancy Could Lead to Childhood Asthma
Exposure to “forever chemicals” during pregnancy could increase the risk of childhood asthma, according to new research from Sweden. Researchers from Lund University found that prenatal exposure to very high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in drinking water corresponded with a higher incidence of childhood asthma in a community dealing with decades of contamination.
The findings, published Thursday in PLOS Medicine, are notable. Although PFAS exposure causes myriad well-documented health harms, links to asthma have not been as well-studied. “When I went into it, I was not expecting to see anything, so we were surprised,” said Annelise Blomberg, an associate researcher in epidemiology at Lund University and a study co-author.
Researchers emphasized that the association they found was limited to very high levels of PFAS exposure and said the research needs to be replicated. Still, it has implications for people around the world who are exposed to high levels of forever chemicals. “This is a public health effect that has gone really undetected until now,” Blomberg said.
Dozens of Chemicals Found in Pregnant U.S. Women, With Levels Spiking in Summertime
Environmental Health News reported:
In a recent study published in Environment & Health, researchers measured chemical exposure levels in pregnant African American women in Atlanta, Georgia and found contamination across all 12 groups of chemicals analyzed.
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- Of the 113 individual chemicals analyzed, 36 of them (30%) were found in more than 70% of the women tested.
- Some chemicals were found in 95% or more of the women, including metabolites of nine phthalates, three parabens, two benzophenones, two pesticides/insecticides, one flame retardant, and bisphenol S (a common BPA replacement).
- Exposure to certain groups of chemicals varied significantly by season, with contamination from herbicides, phthalates, and organophosphorus flame retardants spiking in the warmer months.
- Some trends in contamination reflected the success of regulatory efforts to reduce public exposure, such as a steady decline in bactericide contamination after the FDA banned them from some commercial products in 2016.
Acetaminophen Use by Pregnant Women Decreases After Trump Links It to Autism
A new study suggests that fewer pregnant women are taking acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol. The study comes after President Donald Trump said in September that taking the drug while pregnant increases the risk of autism in babies, which contradicts medical research.
The study showed that acetaminophen orders for pregnant patients in U.S. emergency rooms are down 10% in the months since Trump’s announcement, but medical research says that the drug is safe to take while pregnant.
“If I want to help a patient who is pregnant, and they have fever or pain, I’ll tell you, I’m reaching for acetaminophen first because it’s the safest,” said Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician from Brigham and Women’s hospital. “People who are experiencing pain or a fever deserve safe treatment.”
Autoimmune Disease in Parent Tied to Allergy Risk in Child
Children of parents with autoimmune diseases had higher odds of developing asthma and eczema, according to a meta-analysis. Exposure to maternal autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), showed the strongest association.
To examine associations between parental autoimmune diseases and the risk for allergic diseases in offspring, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 12 studies: six prospective cohort studies, five case-control studies, and one cross-sectional study, with a median sample size of 1696 participants. The researchers focused on autoimmune diseases such as SLE, rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease in mothers and fathers.
Allergic outcomes in children included asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis.
In a pooled analysis of eight studies, mothers with autoimmune diseases were more likely to have children with asthma than were mothers without autoimmune disease; the increased risk was greater among children exposed to maternal SLE.
U.S. Fertility Rates Drop to Another Record Low
The U.S. fertility rate fell slightly in 2025, to another record low, extending two decades of declines, according to federal data released on Thursday. The fertility rate — the number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age — dropped to 53.1, from 53.8 in 2024, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The number of births dropped too, falling by 1 percent from the previous year, to 3,606,400.
The fertility rate has been falling since 2007, a trend that has become something of a demographic mystery. The drop began during the Great Recession, and experts first attributed it to the sharp economic downturn, following a common historical pattern. But the rate has continued to drop, and demographers have been trying to understand why.
There are some clues in the age breakdown: The fertility rate for teenagers dropped by 7 percent from 2024’s figure, setting another record low for the group. Since 2007, the rate for teenagers is down by 72 percent, and since 1991, when teenage fertility rates were at a high, the rate is down by 81 percent.
Breast Implants, Baby Toys, Paint: The Surprising Everyday Sources of Microplastics
Microplastics can enter our bodies from a variety of shocking everyday sources, a new report has revealed. Dr Heather Leslie, the pioneering scientist who first found microplastics in the human bloodstream, describes it as a “microplastic storm” driven by poorly understood exposure pathways. Hospital equipment for premature babies, children’s toys and paint all pose potential risks, the study found.
Exploring Everyday Microplastic Exposures, funded by Plastic Soup Foundation and The Flotilla Foundation and authored by Leslie, highlights the vast scale of microplastic exposure in daily life. These particles endanger human health by accumulating in organs and increasing the risk of inflammation, cellular damage, cancer and cardiovascular issues.
Drawing on over 350 peer-reviewed studies, the report maps microplastic release across five categories of everyday life: outdoor sources, indoor environments, children’s products, healthcare and personal care, and food and drink.
Greece Plans to Block Social Media for Children Under 15
Greece is expected to ban social media for children under the age of 15, the country’s prime minister said Wednesday, joining countries including Spain and Australia that are cracking down on social media usage amid concerns that online platforms are harming children.
The legislation, which has little opposition and is expected to pass this summer, would come into effect Jan. 1, 2027, the Greek leader, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said, noting that Greece was at the forefront of the movement to reduce the negative impact of social media on children. The moves have underscored the differences between some countries, particularly in Europe, and the United States over their approaches to technology and free speech.
“We decided to proceed with something difficult but necessary — banning access to social media for children under 15,” Mr. Mitsotakis said in a video posted to social media. He spoke directly to children, introducing his remarks by saying “6-7 — Now that I have your attention,” using a phrase that spread rapidly among adolescents last year and left many parents scratching their heads.
