Early-Life Exposure to “Forever Chemicals” Linked to Childhood Intestinal Inflammation

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," during pregnancy and early life is associated with increased intestinal inflammation during childhood.  

The findings, published July 10, 2026, in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, provide new evidence that environmental exposures during critical stages of development may influence long-term intestinal health and future inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) risk. 

The study is the first to demonstrate that prenatal and early-life PFAS exposure is consistently associated with elevated levels of fecal calprotectin—a biomarker of intestinal inflammation commonly used to monitor IBD—across three birth cohorts in the United States and Mexico.