FETOTOX is a multidisciplinary project with the overall objective to investigate the relationship between exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) including the perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) during pregnancy, their toxicological impact and outcomes in the mother and child, such as fecundity, fetal and infant growth and CNS development including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Cerebral Paresis (CP).

The main hypotheses of FETOTOX are that female exposure to POPs affects her fecundity and that exposure of the mother to POPs before and during pregnancy can affect fetal development and increase the risk of long term effects on the offspring’s neurodevelopment

To study causal associations in humans at concentrations with public health impact requires data based on longitudinal populations from conception and onwards. In Denmark, we have access to a large number of health information stored in population based registers and long term follow up is possible. The project is based on the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC; 1996-2002) and the Aarhus Birth Cohort Biobank (ABCB; 2008 – ongoing) providing a 20-year update of Danish birth cohorts. By combining data from the two Danish birth cohorts with international birth cohorts from Norway (MISA; 2006-2009), Greenland (GRL; 2010-2013) and China (CH; 2011-2015) FETOTOX will provide globally a real-time PFC exposure pattern and their effects on birth outcomes.