Prenatal environmental chemical exposures and longitudinal patterns of child neurobehavior

Abstract

Background Prenatal chemical exposures may adversely affect neurodevelopment, but few studies have examined the persistence of these associations. We examined whether associations between prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) or polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposures persist or resolve as children age. Methods We followed 346 mother-child pairs (enrolled 2003–2006) from Cincinnati, OH from pregnancy until children were 8 years old. We measured BPA in urine collected at 16 and 26 weeks gestation and PBDE-47 in serum collected at 16 weeks gestation. We administered repeated measures of children’s behavior, mental/psychomotor development, and IQ from ages 1–8 years. We determined if associations of BPA or PBDE-47 with child neurobehavior persisted or resolved as children aged using linear mixed models and estimated neurobehavioral measure reproducibility using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results Higher BPA in girls and higher PBDE-47 in both boys and girls were associated with more externalizing behaviors; these associations persisted from ages 2–8 years (exposure × age interaction p-values≥0.36). Higher PBDE-47 concentrations were associated with decreases in MDI from ages 1–3 years (PBDE-47 × age interaction p-value=0.03) and persistently lower IQ at ages 5 and 8 years (PBDE-47 × age interaction p-value=0.56). Mental/psychomotor abilities had fair reproducibility from ages 1–3 years (ICCs~0.4), cognitive abilities from ages 5 to 8 years had excellent reproducibility (ICCs=0.7–0.8), and parent-reported behaviors from ages 2–8 years had poor to good reproducibility (ICCs=0.38–0.59). Conclusions Prenatal BPA and PBDE-47 concentrations were persistently associated with more externalizing behaviors. PBDE-47 concentrations were inversely associated with cognitive abilities that strengthened over time.

Prenatal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and IQ Scores at Age 5; a Study in the Danish National Birth Cohort

“…Even though all three studies utilized Wechsler scales to measure IQ, child IQ scores were evaluated at different ages (from 5 to 12 y). We may expect some variability in IQ measures by age, but a recent cohort study in Cincinnati, Ohio, reported rather high correlations of repeated IQ measures performed at [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ranges 0.71–0.80 for performance, verbal, and full-scale IQ] ( Braun et al. 2017 ).…”

Determinants of Risk Perception Related to Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors during Pregnancy: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study on French Women

“…Over the last decade, a wide range of animal and epidemiologic studies have assessed the relationship between EDC exposure and health issues [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], and notwithstanding some instances of inconsistency or bias, this relationship has been repeatedly and convincingly confirmed. Thus, indeed, many diseases and disorders are now considered as being related to prenatal exposure to EDCs, such as fetal development disorders associated with low birth weight [ 21 , 22 ], prematurity [ 15 , 23 ], neurobehavioral disorders as autism and obsessive-compulsive disorders [ 24 , 25 ], loss of intelligence quotient points [ 26 ], allergies [ 27 ] pubescent development disorders [ 15 ] and congenital abnormalities [ 28 , 29 , 30 ]. Exposure to EDCs is also likely to cause breast cancers [ 31 ] and clear cell adenocarcinomas [ 32 , 33 , 34 ] in the offspring of exposed individuals.…”

The ENDpoiNTs Project: Novel Testing Strategies for Endocrine Disruptors Linked to Developmental Neurotoxicity

“…In the past decade, human epidemiology has provided evidence for positive associations between pre-and postnatal exposure to certain chemicals, including known EDCs (e.g., PCBs, PBDEs, PFOS, bisphenol A, phthalates, paracetamol) and impaired neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. Data from birth cohorts have shown that chemical exposure during time periods that are critical for neurodevelopment can adversely impact cognitive functions (memory, language), attention, emotions, and social behaviors, partly with sexual dimorphic effects [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. These observations are supported by experimental data in rodent models demonstrating persistent effects on behavior, cognition, and motor activity after exposure to EDCs during development, including PCBs, PBDEs, PFOS, bisphenol A, phthalates, and vinclozolin [12][13][14][15][16].…”