New research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has found that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy and early childhood is associated with higher levels of intestinal inflammation in childhood later in life. The study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, tracked children from three birth cohorts in the United States and Mexico for up to 11 years. Researchers found that higher exposure to PFAS before and shortly after birth was consistently linked to elevated levels of faecal calprotectin, a recognised biomarker of intestinal inflammation. The findings suggest that environmental exposure during critical stages of development could influence long-term gut health and potentially increase susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While the study does not prove PFAS cause IBD, it strengthens evidence that early-life exposure may play a role in disease development. Researchers analysed PFAS exposure before birth PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are widely used in consumer and industrial products including non-stick cookware, food packaging, stain-resistant textiles, and firefighting foams. Their resistance to degradation allows them …