Haul out your cast iron cookware if you're pregnant, or at least your stainless steel All-Clad: birth weight and size may be affected adversely by prenatal exposure to chemicals used in non-stick cookware and other things.
At least, it is in rats.
Rat research shows that exposure to the
chemicals perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and
perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) affects the developing wee rat fetus. And a study was made of 293 pregnant women: cord blood samples
were tested for PFOA and PFOS and the
levels were examined in relation to pregnancy outcomes, and it was found that cord blood levels of both chemicals
were inversely related to birth weight and head circumference.
Obviously, further research is necessary to determine whether there is an actual causal relationship here, but if you're pregnant you may as well hang up your omelet pan for a few months.
It can go next to your cigarettes, deli meats, and martinis. Which will make for one hell of a party after the birth when you can have fun again.
