{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:46:03Z","timestamp":1787028363067,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,17]],"date-time":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1673913600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)","award":["90380701"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["90380701"]}]},{"name":"Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)","award":["2019\/995"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2019\/995"]}]},{"name":"Northern Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Nord)","award":["90380701"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["90380701"]}]},{"name":"Northern Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Nord)","award":["2019\/995"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2019\/995"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pervasive exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) shows associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes. The aim of the present study was to examine the determinants of different serum PFAS concentrations in late pregnancy and their relationship with birth outcomes in southern Malawi. The sample included 605 pregnant women with a mean age of 24.8 years and their offspring from three districts in the southern region of Malawi. Six PFAS were measured in serum from third-trimester women. The serum PFAS concentrations were assessed with head circumference, birth length, birth weight, gestational age and ponderal index. Participants living in urban areas had significantly higher serum levels of PFOA, PFNA and SumPFOS, while SumPFHxS concentrations were higher in women from rural settings. High PFOA, PFNA and SumPFHxS concentrations were generally inversely associated with head circumference. Birth length was negatively associated with PFOA and PFNA while SumPFHxS was negatively associated with birth weight. SumPFOS was inversely associated with gestational age. Urban area of residence was the strongest predictor for high PFAS concentrations in the maternal serum and was generally associated with adverse birth outcomes. The results highlight the need to investigate SumPFHxS further as it follows a pattern that is different to similar compounds and cohorts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20031689","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,17]],"date-time":"2023-01-17T05:40:02Z","timestamp":1673934002000},"page":"1689","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Serum Concentrations of Selected Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Pregnant Women and Associations with Birth Outcomes. A Cross-Sectional Study from Southern Malawi"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Mphatso","family":"Mwapasa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway"},{"name":"School of Maternal, Neonatal and Reproductive Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre 312225, Malawi"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4745-8767","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sandra","family":"Huber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, 9038 Troms\u00f8, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bertha Magreta","family":"Chakhame","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway"},{"name":"School of Maternal, Neonatal and Reproductive Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre 312225, Malawi"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alfred","family":"Maluwa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Directorate of Research and Outreach, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Thyolo 310106, Malawi"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Lisa","family":"Odland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway"},{"name":"Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre 312233, Malawi"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5247-6519","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Halina","family":"R\u00f6llin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Augustine","family":"Choko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre 312233, Malawi"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shanshan","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jon \u00d8yvind","family":"Odland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway"},{"name":"School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"513","DOI":"10.1002\/ieam.258","article-title":"Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment: Terminology, classification, and origins","volume":"7","author":"Buck","year":"2011","journal-title":"Integr. 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