Boys and black children were most affected, according to recent research of nearly 1,100 children.
Children whose mothers were exposed to certain synthetic chemicals during pregnancy are more likely to have higher blood pressure as teenagers, recent research finds.
Often called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily and can accumulate in the environment and in people’s bodies over time, experts say these compounds are widespread, with nearly everyone exposed through food, water, and many household products.
Researchers found that higher levels of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals in mothers’ blood after delivery were linked to increased blood pressure in their children during adolescence. As levels of three specific PFAS chemicals doubled, teenagers’ blood pressure percentile also increased by 1 to 3 percentiles.
“High blood pressure in teens is more common than most people realize,” Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula, an associate professor of epidemiology at North Dakota State University and not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times. “About 1 in 7 teens in the United States now has elevated or high blood pressure.”
