Exposure to hexachlorobenzene during pregnancy and children's social behavior at 4 years of age.
BACKGROUND
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is an organochlorine chemical that has been used in agriculture and industrial processes. Behavioral impairment after HCB exposure has been described in animal models, but little information is available in humans.


OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to study the association of prenatal exposure to HCB with the social behavior of preschool children.


METHODS
Two birth cohorts in Ribera d'Ebre and Menorca (Spain) were set up between 1997 and 1999 (n = 475). The California Preschool Social Competence Scale and the Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were scored by each 4-year-old child's teacher. Organochlorine compounds were measured in cord serum. Children's diet and parental sociodemographic information were obtained through questionnaire.


RESULTS
Children with concentrations of HCB > 1.5 ng/mL at birth had a statistically significant increased risk of having poor Social Competence [relative risk (RR) = 4.04; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.76-9.58] and ADHD (RR = 2.71; 95% CI, 1.05-6.96) scores. No association was found between HCB and the cognitive and psychomotor performance of these children.


CONCLUSIONS
Prenatal exposure to current concentrations of HCB in Spain is associated with a decrease in the behavioral competence at preschool ages. These results should be considered when evaluating the potential neurotoxicologic effects of HCB.
Ribas-Fitó
Núria
N
Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Institut Municipal Investigació Mèdica (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain. nribas@imim.es
Torrent
Maties
M
Carrizo
Daniel
D
Júlvez
Jordi
J
Grimalt
Joan O
JO
Sunyer
Jordi
J
D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012919:Social Behavior; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D000393:Air Pollutants; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene