Arkansas Children’s Land $3M NIH Grant

On By Littum

To help with their study of perpetual chemicals on infant and child development, the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) has received a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Little Rock-based health unit announced the award on Jan. 21.

The new project will specifically investigate whether a pregnant woman’s physical activity level can provide some protection against the effects of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS are man-made chemicals that are often found in manufactured goods, from carpets, clothing and personal care to cleaning products, cookware and food packaging. They are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they take a long time to break down, a release from Arkansas Children’s reported.

The new study is led by Aline Andres, PhD, RD, whose team also investigated how PFAS affects genes activated in the placenta. Some PFAS have been linked to negative health effects, and due to their widespread use and persistence, they can build up in living organisms.

The research team aims to understand how PFAS can affect maternal and child health in the prenatal and postnatal period, specifically in relation to exercise during pregnancy and how it affects prenatal PFAS exposure, placental PFAS exposure and function, and postnatal health.

“Working closely with experts from many fields, our team will find out how PFAS affects children as they grow,” Andres said in a statement. “Our goal is to find ways to protect children from any potential harm that these chemicals can cause.

“We know that exercise is the key to improved health in many situations. We’re excited to see if this can be another way physical activity leads to healthier families.”

Arkansas Children’s is the only health system in the state dedicated solely to caring for Arkansas’ 850,000 children. The private, nonprofit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a kindergarten alliance, statewide clinics and many educational and outreach programs.

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