Volume 30, Issue 174, August 2026

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and their impact on child development: mechanisms, vulnerability windows, and health consequences

Oliwia Borowska^1♦, Jakub Magdziak¹, Natalia Sałkowska², Sara Awad¹, Eliza Mędrek³, Natalia Brzozowska3, Barbara Wardzyńska⁴, Paulina Zegarska⁵, Hanna Markowska⁶

¹Szpital Kliniczny im. prof. W. Orłowskiego CMKP: Warsaw, Mazovia, Poland
²University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Warsaw, address Banacha 1a, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
³Nowodworskie Centrum Medyczne, ul. Miodowa 2, 05-100, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, Poland
⁴Samodzielny Publiczny Zespół Zakładów Opieki Zdrowotnej w Wyszkowie, ul. Komisji Edukacji Narodowej 1, 07-200 Wyszków, Poland
⁵Szpital Grochowski im. dr med. Rafała Masztaka: Warsaw, Mazovia, Poland
⁶Samodzielny Publiczny Wielospecjalistyczny Zakład Opieki Zdrowotnej Ministerstwa Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji w Bydgoszczy, ul. Ks. R. Markwanta 4-6. 85-015 Bydgoszcz, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Oliwia Borowska, Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny im. prof. W. Orłowskiego CMKP: Warsaw, Mazovia, PL

ABSTRACT

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a group of exogenous substances that can interfere with hormonal signaling pathways, metabolism, neurodevelopment, and reproductive maturation. They are ubiquitous in all aspects of our environment, both natural and manufactured, which makes it virtually impossible to avoid exposure. Children represent the most vulnerable group due to their rapid growth, constant hormonal and neurodevelopmental changes, and their immature detoxification systems. The objective of this review is to provide an insight into how EDCs exert their biological effects and their clinical manifestations at critical periods like fetal life, infancy, and puberty by summarizing recent literature on their biological mechanisms of action. We also wanted to emphasize emerging data regarding micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), epigenetic reprogramming, mixture effects, and transgenerational consequences. Although there are significant research gaps, evidence increasingly supports the role of EDCs as key factors in disrupted development that affect not only the particular stage of life but can also be passed on to later generations.

Keywords: children; endocrine disruptors; neurodevelopment; obesity; diabetes

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e176ms3900

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v30i174.e176ms3900

Published: 30 August 2026