Journal Article

In Utero and Childhood Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE) Exposures and Neurodevelopment in the CHAMACOS Study

Eskenazi, Brenda, Kogut, Katherine, Bradman, Asa, Sjödin, Andreas, Rauch, Stephen A., Johnson, Caroline, Harley, Kim G., Chevrier, Jonathan, Trujillo, Celina

2013

Overview

California children's exposures to polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) are among the highest worldwide. PBDEs are known endocrine disruptors and neurotoxicants in animals. Here we investigate the relation of in utero and child PBDE exposure to neurobehavioral development among participants in CHAMACOS (Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas), a California birth cohort. We measured PBDEs in maternal prenatal and child serum samples and examined the association of PBDE concentrations with children's attention, motor functioning, and cognition at 5 (n = 310) and 7 years of age (n = 323). Maternal prenatal PBDE concentrations were associated with impaired attention as measured by a continuous performance task at 5 years and maternal report at 5 and 7 years of age, with poorer fine motor coordination-particularly in the nondominant-at both age points, and with decrements in Verbal and Full-Scale IQ at 7 years. PBDE concentrations in children 7 years of age were significantly or marginally associated with concurrent teacher reports of attention problems and decrements in Processing Speed, Perceptual Reasoning, Verbal Comprehension, and Full-Scale IQ. These associations were not altered by adjustment for birth weight, gestational age, or maternal thyroid hormone levels. Both prenatal and childhood PBDE exposures were associated with poorer attention, fine motor coordination, and cognition in the CHAMACOS cohort of school-age children. This study, the largest to date, contributes to growing evidence suggesting that PBDEs have adverse impacts on child neurobehavioral development.

• Publisher: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Subject: Age / Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / Behavior / Birth weight / Causes of / Central Nervous System - drug effects / Central Nervous System - growth & development / Child development / Child, Preschool / Children / Children & youth / Cognition / Cognition & reasoning / Diseases / Environmentally induced diseases / Environmentally induced diseases in children / Ethers / Exposure / Female / Fire resistant materials / Flame retardants / Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - toxicity / Health / Health aspects / Humans / Hyperactivity / Intelligence / Male / Medical laboratories / Mexico / Motor ability / Motors / Perceptual reasoning / Physiological aspects / Polybrominated diphenyl ethers / Pregnancy / Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Prospective Studies / Studies / Thyroid / Womens health