title: Prenatal and early-life polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels and behavior in Inuit preschoolers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whereas it is well established that prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can disrupt children's behavior, early postnatal exposure has received relatively little attention in environmental epidemiology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate prenatal and postnatal exposures to PCB-153, a proxy of total PCB exposure, and their relation to inattention and activity in 5-year-old Inuits from the Cord Blood Monitoring Program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prenatal exposure to PCBs was informed by cord plasma PCB-153 levels. We used a validated pharmacokinetic model to estimate monthly infants' levels across the first year of life. Inattention and activity were assessed by coding of video recordings of children undergoing fine motor testing. We used multivariable linear regression to evaluate the association between prenatal and postnatal PCB-153 levels and inattention (n=97) and activity (n=98) at 5years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cord plasma PCB-153 was not associated with inattention and activity. Each interquartile range (IQR) increase in estimated infant PCB-153 levels at 2months was associated with a 1.02% increase in the duration of inattention (95% CI: 0.04, 2.00). Statistical adjustment for the duration of breastfeeding slightly increased regression coefficients for postnatal level estimates, some of which became statistically significant for inattention (months: 2-4) and activity (months: 2-5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study adds to the growing evidence of postnatal windows of development during which children are more susceptible to neurotoxicants like PCBs.
authors: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, HSPH-BWH-301W, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, Nobelsväg 13, Solna 171 77, Sweden. Electronic address: remav@channing.harvard.edu.
authors: Marc-André
authors: MA
authors: Verner
authors: Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Research Center of the Mental Health Institute, 7401 Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, Quebec, H1N 3M5, Canada; Etholabs, School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal, C. P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7, Canada. Electronic address: pierrich.plusquellec@umontreal.ca.
authors: Pierrich
authors: P
authors: Plusquellec
authors: Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Research Center of the Mental Health Institute, 7401 Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, Quebec, H1N 3M5, Canada. Electronic address: justine.desjardins@gmail.com.
authors: Justine Laura
authors: JL
authors: Desjardins
authors: Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 320 Sainte-Catherine Est Pavillon J.A. De Sève, local DS5775, Montreal, Quebec H2X 1L7, Canada; INSERM U1085, Université Rennes I, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes, France. Electronic address: cartier.chloe@gmail.com.
authors: Chloé
authors: C
authors: Cartier
authors: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2375 ch. de la Cote-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1A8, Canada; Université de Montréal Public Health Research Institute, Université de Montréal, 7101 avenue du Parc, office 3187-03, Montreal, Quebec, H3N 1X9, Canada. Electronic address: sami.haddad@umontreal.ca.
authors: Sami
authors: S
authors: Haddad
authors: Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, 2875 Laurier, Quebec, Quebec G1V 2M2, Canada. Electronic address: pierre.ayotte@crchul.ulaval.ca.
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Ayotte
authors: Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, 2875 Laurier, Quebec, Quebec G1V 2M2, Canada. Electronic address: eric.dewailly@crchul.ulaval.ca.
authors: Éric
authors: É
authors: Dewailly
authors: Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, 2875 Laurier, Quebec, Quebec G1V 2M2, Canada. Electronic address: gina.muckle@psy.ulaval.ca.
authors: Gina
authors: G
authors: Muckle
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000139:chemically induced*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; C014024:2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl
keywords: Behavior; Pharmacokinetic modeling; Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); Postnatal exposure; Preschoolers