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Background: Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) are environmentally and biologically persistent synthetic chemicals. PFCAs include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; C8) and long-chain PFCAs (C9–C20). Studies examining long-chain PFCAs and fetal and postnatal growth are limited. Objectives: We investigated the associations of prenatal exposure to long-chain PFCAs with fetal and postnatal growth. Methods: For 223 Taiwanese mothers and their term infants, we measured PFOA and four long-chain PFCAs (ng/mL) in third-trimester maternal serum; infant weight (kg), length and head circumference (cm) at birth; and childhood weight and height at approximately 2, 5, 8, and 11 years of age. For each sex, we used multivariable linear regression to examine associations between ln-transformed prenatal PFCAs and continuous infant measures, and logistic regression to examine small for gestational age (SGA). Linear mixed models were applied to prenatal PFCAs and childhood weight and height z-scores. Results: In girls, prenatal perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), and perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA) concentrations were inversely associated with birth weight [e.g., βbirth weight (kg) = –0.06, 95% CI: –0.11, –0.01 per 1 ln-unit PFUnDA increase]; prenatal PFDeA and PFUnDA were associated with elevated odds of SGA; and PFDeA, PFUnDA, and PFDoDA were associated with lower average childhood height z-score. In boys, prenatal PFNA, and PFDoDA were associated with reductions in height at certain ages in childhood, but not with size at birth. Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to long-chain PFCAs may interfere with fetal and childhood growth in girls, and childhood growth in boys. Citation: Wang Y, Adgent M, Su PH, Chen HY, Chen PC, Hsiung CA, Wang SL. 2016. Prenatal exposure to perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and fetal and postnatal growth in the Taiwan Maternal and Infant Cohort Study. Environ Health Perspect 124:1794–1800; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509998

Introduction: Phthalate diesters are well-known environmental endocrine disruptors. However, few studies have examined their effects on children’s sex hormones using a birth cohort follow-up approa...

Background: Epidemiological studies concerning the relations of exposure to phthalates, thyroid function and cognitive function among children could be limited. Objectives: We conducted the longitu...

In Taiwan, the prevalence of obesity in children is increased 1.5 folds in the last decade. Exposure to endocrine disruptor, such as phthalates, could affect endocrine system and adipokine secretio...

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are widely used as plasticizers in many daily used products. Although some evidence of its reproductive effects has been shown, however; pubertal development effects fr...

Background: Few studies have examined the association between environmental phthalate exposure and children’s neurocognitive development, especially in birth cohort follow-up studies. Objectives: W...

Background and Aims: Neonates are exposed to high levels of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) through numerous medical procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Our aim is to assess t...

Background and Aims: Thyroid hormone is essential for development of pre-pubertal children. Toxicological evidence shows the probable thyroid-like function of some phthalates in vitro and in vivo, ...