title: Persistent Associations between Maternal Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates on Child IQ at Age 7 Years.
abstract: Prior research reports inverse associations between maternal prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and mental and motor development in preschoolers. No study evaluated whether these associations persist into school age.
  
  
  
  In a follow up of 328 inner-city mothers and their children, we measured prenatal urinary metabolites of di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP), di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate in late pregnancy. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition was administered at child age 7 years and evaluates four areas of cognitive function associated with overall intelligence quotient (IQ).
  
  
  
  Child full-scale IQ was inversely associated with prenatal urinary metabolite concentrations of DnBP and DiBP: b = -2.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -4.33, -1.05) and b = -2.69 (95% CI = -4.22, -1.16) per log unit increase. Among children of mothers with the highest versus lowest quartile DnBP and DiBP metabolite concentrations, IQ was 6.7 (95% CI = 1.9, 11.4) and 7.6 (95% CI = 3.2, 12.1) points lower, respectively. Associations were unchanged after control for cognition at age 3 years. Significant inverse associations were also seen between maternal prenatal metabolite concentrations of DnBP and DiBP and child processing speed, perceptual reasoning and working memory; DiBP and child verbal comprehension; and BBzP and child perceptual reasoning.
  
  
  
  Maternal prenatal urinary metabolite concentrations measured in late pregnancy of DnBP and DiBP are associated with deficits in children's intellectual development at age 7 years. Because phthalate exposures are ubiquitous and concentrations seen here within the range previously observed among general populations, results are of public health significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Factor-Litvak
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Insel
authors.affiliation: National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Antonia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Calafat
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Frederica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.affiliation: Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Virginia A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Rauh
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Whyatt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000187:drug effects*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010795:Phthalic Acids