Prenatal PBDE and PCB Exposures and Reading, Cognition, and Externalizing Behavior in Children

Hongmei Zhang, Kimberly Yolton, Glenys M Webster, Andreas Sjödin, Antonia M Calafat, Kim N Dietrich, Yingying Xu, Changchun Xie, Joseph M Braun, Bruce P Lanphear, Aimin Chen, Hongmei Zhang, Kimberly Yolton, Glenys M Webster, Andreas Sjödin, Antonia M Calafat, Kim N Dietrich, Yingying Xu, Changchun Xie, Joseph M Braun, Bruce P Lanphear, Aimin Chen

Abstract

Background: Prenatal polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exposures may influence children's neurodevelopment.

Objective: We examined the association of prenatal PBDE and PCB exposures with children's reading skills at ages 5 and 8 years, Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ), and externalizing behavior problems at age 8 years.

Methods: From 239 mother-child pairs recruited (2003-2006) in Cincinnati, Ohio, we measured maternal serum PBDE and PCB concentrations, assessed child's reading skills using the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement III (WJ-III) at age 5 years and the Wide Range Achievement Test-4 (WRAT-4) at age 8 years, tested FSIQ using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV), and externalizing behavior problems using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-2 (BASC-2) at age 8 years. We used multiple linear regression to examine the association of prenatal PBDE and PCB concentrations and reading, FSIQ, and externalizing behavior problems after adjusting for covariates.

Results: An increase of Sum4PBDEs (BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, and BDE-153) by 10 times was not significantly associated with reading scores at age 5 years at the p = 0.05 level but was inversely associated with Reading Composite scores (β: -6.2, 95% CI: -11.7, -0.6) and FSIQ (β: -5.3, 95% CI: -10.6, -0.02) at age 8 years; it was positively associated with the score for externalizing behavior problems (β: 3.5, 95% CI: -0.1, 7.2) at age 8 years. Prenatal Sum4PCBs (PCB-118, -153, -138-158, and -180) was not significantly associated with a child's reading skills, FSIQ, and externalizing behavior problems.

Conclusion: Prenatal PBDE concentration was inversely associated with reading skills and FSIQ and positively associated with externalizing behavior problems at age 8 years. No significant associations were found in prenatal PCB concentration.

Conflict of interest statement

J.M.B. was financially compensated for conducting a re-analysis of a study of child lead exposure for the plaintiffs in a public nuisance case related to childhood lead poisoning. B.P.L. has served as an expert witness and a consultant to the California Attorney General’s Office for the plaintiffs in a public nuisance case related to childhood lead poisoning, but he has not personally received any compensation for these services. B.P.L. has also served as a paid consultant on a U.S. EPA research study related to childhood lead poisoning. None of these activities are directly related to the present study.

The other authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Concentrations of PBDE and PCB congeners in the pregnant women in the HOME Study and NHANES (2003–2004) (median and interquartile range). Bars represent the interquartile range (IQR) of chemical concentrations in the HOME Study. Medians of chemical concentrations in the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) pregnant women (2003–2004) were referenced, which did not provide the IQR or the 25th and 75th percentiles (Woodruff et al. 2011). BDE-47, -99, -100, and -153 are the congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs); PCB-118, -153, -138-158, and -180 are the congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Limit of detection (LOD) for NHANES pregnant women (2003–2004) is 4.2, 5.0, 1.4, and 2.2 ng/g lipid for BDE-47, -99, -100, and -153; 0.6 and 1.1 ng/g lipid for PCB-118, and -153, respectively; 0.4 ng/g lipid for PCB-180 and PCD-138-158.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trend and association of child’s reading scores, FSIQ, and Externalizing Problems scores with prenatal Sum4PBDEs and Sum4PCBs concentrations quartiles. (a) The trend and association of child’s reading scores, FSIQ, and externalizing behavior problems scores with prenatal Sum4PBDEs; (b) The trend and association of child’s reading scores, FSIQ, and externalizing behavior problems scores with prenatal Sum4PCBs. The quartile cutoffs were < 20.70, 20.70–35.64, 35.65–76.00, and ≥ 76.00 ng/g lipid for Sum4PBDEs, and < 21.50, 21.50–31.29, 31.30–42.80, and ≥ 42.80 ng/g for Sum4PCBs, respectively. The score in the 1st quartile is the reference. Note: Adjusted for maternal age, education, race, IQ, household income, parity, married status, smoking (maternal serum cotinine), fish consumption, depression, and child sex, and HOME score. FSIQ, Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient; *p < 0.05, #p < 0.10.

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