title: Evaluating the neurotoxic effects of lactational exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Spanish children.
abstract: Although the brain continues developing in the postnatal period, epidemiological studies on the effects of postnatal exposure to neurotoxic POPs through breast-feeding remain mostly inconclusive. Failure to detect associations between postnatal exposure and health outcomes may stem from the limitations of commonly employed approaches to assess lactational exposure. The aim of the present study was to assess whether lactational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl-153 (PCB-153), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), or hexachlorobenzene (HCB) as estimated with a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model, is associated with decrements in mental and psychomotor development scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) test in children aged around 14-months of a subsample (N=1175) of the Spanish INMA birth cohort, and to compare this with the effects of prenatal exposure. Although in the present study population PCB-153, DDE and HCB exposure increased within the first months of postnatal life, no associations were found between different periods of postnatal exposure to these compounds and mental or psychomotor scores. Increasing prenatal PCB-153 concentrations were associated with worse mental and psychomotor scores, although significance was only reached for psychomotor development (β [95%CI]=-1.36 [-2.61, -0.11]). Indeed, the association between exposure and effects observed during prenatal life weakened gradually across periods of postnatal life. Results of the present study suggest that, although breastfeeding increases children's blood persistent organic pollutants (POPs) levels during postnatal life, deleterious effects of PCB-153 on neuropsychological development are mainly attributable to prenatal exposure.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. mgascon@creal.cat
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gascon
authors.forename: Marc-André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Verner
authors.forename: Mònica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guxens
authors.forename: Joan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Grimalt
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forns
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ibarluzea
authors.forename: Nerea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lertxundi
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Llop
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrijheid
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation; D016014:Linear Models; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; C014024:2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl