Exposure to “forever chemicals” for mothers during pregnancy may be linked with higher rates of PCOS in teenage daughters, study suggests
Scientists are increasingly concerned that certain everyday chemicals may be interfering with our hormones – and possibly for generations to come. According to a recent publication in Environmental Research, mothers who had higher concentrations of certain “forever chemicals” in their blood were more likely to have daughters that developed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and moderate-to-severe acne by their later teenage years.
Dr. Zifan Wang, Research Associate in the Mahalingaiah Lab (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) and others followed 322 mother‑daughter pairs enrolled in Project Viva, a long-term Boston-area study that included mothers who were pregnant between 1999 and 2002, to reach these conclusions. Using blood samples and survey data, they found that mothers who had higher levels of a chemical called EtFOSAA in their blood were 2.7x more likely to have a teenage daughter with PCOS. Mothers with higher levels of PFNA were 2.3x more likely to have teen daughters with moderate‑to‑severe acne. Of note, when the researchers looked mothers who had been exposed to all six PFAS together as a mixture, they didn’t see a clear overall link with PCOS or related traits.
EtFOSAA and PFNA are both chemicals that belong to a larger group called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Commonly, these chemicals are used in products like nonstick cookware, stain‑resistant fabrics, and food packaging. PFAS build up in the environment and the body over time and don’t break down easily, raising concern about long‑term health effects.
A recent study followed 322 mothers and their daughters from pregnancy through the daughters’ teenage years. The researchers measured levels of six different PFAS in the mothers’ blood early in pregnancy, then checked the daughters in mid-to-late adolescence for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and related symptoms. PCOS is a complex disorder impacting the whole body. Symptoms can include irregular or absent ovulation and more. Despite its namesake, PCOS is actually not caused by a problem with the ovary or ovaries themselves; it’s more like a response to dysregulated hormonal signals and endocrine messaging miscommunication within the body.
This study suggests that exposure to certain PFAS during pregnancy may play a role in daughters’ reproductive health years later, the scientists explained, but it doesn’t prove cause and effect, and the sample size was relatively small. More research with larger groups and longer follow-up is needed, they said – especially because most mothers in the study were non-Hispanic White and college-educated, which limits how broadly the findings can be generalized. Still, their findings add to the growing concern about PFAS in our environment, and they support efforts to reduce exposure.
Read the full study here and learn three ways you can reduce your exposure to PFAS here.
References
E. Huffman, “Understanding ovulation disorders: Types, causes, and new research,” 16 September 2025. [Online]. Available: https://hsph.harvard.edu/mahalingaiah-lab/news/understanding-ovulation-disorders-types-causes-and-new-research/.
K. Persellin and D. Andrews, “‘Forever chemicals’: Top 3 ways to lower your exposure,” 14 February 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/02/forever-chemicals-top-3-ways-lower-your-exposure.
Z. Wang, A. Fleisch, S. L. Rifas-Shiman, A. M. Calafat, T. James-Todd, B. A. Coull, J. E. Chavarro, M.-F. Hivert, R. C. Whooten, W. Perng, E. Oken and S. Mahalingaiah, “Associations of maternal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance plasma concentrations during pregnancy with offspring polycystic ovary syndrome and related characteristics in Project Viva,” Environmental Research, vol. 268, no. 1, p. 120786, 2025.
