Association of Higher Blood Cadmium Level and Fetal Macrosomia among PFAS exposure Participant from NHANES 2017-2018
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Background: Concern about potential reproductive health effects has arisen from the interaction between environmental contaminants such as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and blood cadmium levels. Exposure to PFAS above the limit of detection impacts the reproductive health of people with elevated blood cadmium levels. Objective: To analyze the relationship between blood cadmium levels and different reproductive health outcomes in a large cohort exposed to PFAS above the limits of detection, considering sociodemographic factors and reproductive history. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 143M NHANES participants from 2017-2018. Descriptive statistics for PFAS exposure were analyzed and bivariate and adjusted regression analyzes were used to evaluate the relationship between blood cadmium levels and reproductive health outcomes. Age, race, educational level, marital status, income-poverty ratio, and reproductive history were variables considered in the analysis. Results: 16% of participants whose PFAS and blood cd are above the detection limit showed fetal macrosomia. Participants with higher educational levels, particularly college graduates or higher, showed higher odds of experiencing detrimental Blood cadmium above the detection limit (aOR = 1.131, 95% CI: 1.008-1.269, p = 0.0355). Furthermore, people who had never been married were significantly more likely (aOR = 1.305, 95% CI: 1.122-1.518, p = 0.0006), and fetal macrosomia was significantly more likely (aOR = 1.065, 95% CI: 1.007-1.126, p = 0.0285) whose blood cd level is higher. Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of considering sociodemographic factors when it comes to environmental exposures and their effects on reproductive health. To inform public health interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of environmental pollutants on reproductive health, future research should further investigate these relationships.
