Multi-site PFAS Health Study Frequently Ask Questions about Measuring PFAS in Newborn Dried Blood Spots

Measuring PFAS in Newborn Dried Blood Spots is being conducted as part of New York State's Multi-site PFAS Health Study where two New York communities were chosen as part of the first national study to look at exposures to PFAS from drinking water. What we learn by working with other researchers nationwide will benefit all communities across New York State and the U.S.

The New York State Department of Health and the University at Albany School of Public Health are working together to test PFAS levels in previously collected blood spots of babies born in New York to mothers who lived in the Hoosick Falls area or the City of Newburgh between 1998 and 2018 at the time of the baby’s birth. This effort is being conducted in New York as part of the nationally funded Multi-site PFAS Health Study. People living in these communities were potentially exposed to PFAS in the past through drinking water. The level of PFAS in a blood spot along with questionnaire information collected from the birth mother will help us understand PFAS exposures that took place before birth. This project may also help us learn how PFAS levels in drinking water changed over time in the Hoosick Falls area and Newburgh.

When a baby is born in New York State, a small blood sample is collected by pricking the baby’s heel. This is collected as drops of blood on a card. The drops are dried and stored as multiple circles or “spots” on this card. The Department of Health’s Newborn Screening Program stores these spots. It also does tests on this blood to look for certain rare inherited conditions, such as phenylketonuria and sickle cell anemia. The Newborn Screening Program usually has blood spots left over after these tests are done, which is kept in case it is needed by a doctor in the future.

Measuring PFAS in a blood spot can tell us about PFAS exposures that took place before a baby’s birth. It can also give some information on the birth mother’s exposures. We will measure four types of PFAS: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluourononanoic acid (PFNA). We may measure other PFAS based on scientific relevance. What we learn from this project can help us understand how PFAS levels in drinking water changed over time in the Hoosick Falls area and Newburgh.

This New York State specific project is part of the federally-funded Multi-site PFAS Health Study, which is funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to learn how exposure to PFAS contaminated drinking water may affect human health.

All aspects of the project are by invitation only. Eligible participants may also be invited to participate in other parts of the Multi-site PFAS Health Study.

Information from this project may help people in the Hoosick Falls area and Newburgh better understand their exposures to PFAS. It may help us understand how PFAS levels in the drinking water in the Hoosick Falls area and Newburgh changed over time.

Mothers who gave birth between 1998 and 2018 in New York State and who lived in the Hoosick Falls area or the City of Newburgh at the time of the child’s birth can take part in this project. For the Hoosick Falls area mothers who gave birth between 1998 and 2018 in New York State and who lived in residences with private wells with high levels of PFAS can also take part. Birth mothers will be asked to complete a questionnaire.

We are hoping to recruit birth mothers of 400 eligible children. Other family members can take part if they are eligible. Current residence in New York State or in the Hoosick Falls area or the City of Newburgh is not required to take part in this project.

Birth mothers will be asked to sign and return a consent form. Once we receive it, we will ask the birth mother to complete a questionnaire and obtain permission to access and test their child’s blood spot. We will also request birth mothers to provide us the contact information of their eligible adult children. Adult children will be contacted directly to seek permission to access and test their blood spot. There is no need for participants to see us in-person or travel anywhere for this project. We don’t need to collect any other samples from the birth mother or her child(ren).

We will ask some questions about the birth mother’s pregnancy history. We will ask where she lived before and during pregnancy. We will ask about her water consumption and food habits during that time. We will also ask about her medical history, work history, information on any other pregnancies, and some lifestyle questions. This questionnaire should take about 45 minutes to complete. The questionnaire may take longer to complete if mothers have additional children eligible for the project.

We are working with a laboratory at New York University (NYU) to test on the blood spots. One blood spot will be used for the PFAS testing for this project. It will not be used for any other studies or research projects. If any sample from this blood spot is left over after testing, NYU will safely destroy it.

All personal, identifiable information we collect for this project is confidential and private and will be stored on secure New York State Department of Health computer servers accessible only by project staff. Information we collect via the online questionnaire will be hosted on a secure online platform and saved weekly on secure New York State Department of Health servers. Personal information is protected by New York State and Federal laws.

Questions?

Please call us at (518) 402-7950 or email us at BEOE@health.ny.gov

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