"Forever Chemicals" and Fragile Minds: Understanding the Impact of PFAS on Child Neurodevelopment

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—nicknamed “forever chemicals” due to their extreme environmental persistence—are synthetic compounds found in various products and industries, including food packaging, water and stain-repellant fabrics, fire-fighting foams, and semiconductor manufacturing. While much attention has been paid to their link with cancer, infertility, diseases of the liver, kidney, and immune dysfunction in adults, growing concern centers on how PFAS exposure during pregnancy and early childhood may impair brain development in children