title: Association between prenatal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and young children's neurodevelopment in China.
abstract: The use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) has been dramatically increasing over the last two decades in China. Animal studies suggest that prenatal exposure to PBDEs may result in neurodevelopmental deficits. Two hundred thirty-two participating mothers were recruited from a prospective birth cohort in rural northern China between September 2010 and February 2012. We analyzed 232 cord blood specimens for selected PBDE congeners and examined their association with children's developmental quotients (DQs) at 12 (n=192) and 24 (n=149) months of age based on the Gesell Developmental Schedules (motor, adaptive, language, and social domains). There were no substantial differences by demographic characteristics among the three time points: baseline, 12 and 24 months of age. Median cord blood levels of PBDE congeners 47, 99, 100, and 153 were 3.71, 6.70, 2.63, and 2.19 ng/g lipid, respectively. At 12 months of age, neither the individual nor total (the sum of BDEs 47, 99, 100, and 153) congener levels were associated with any of the four domain DQs. However, at 24 months of age, a 10-fold increase in BDE-99 levels was associated with a 2.16-point decrease [95% confidence interval (CI): -4.52, -0.20] in language domain DQs and a 10-fold increase in BDE-47 levels was associated with a 1.89-point decrease (95% CI: -3.75, -0.03) in social domain DQs. Prenatal exposure to PBDEs was associated with lower DQs in young children. The results contribute to the growing evidence that PBDEs could act as developmental neurotoxicants,and the findings have implications for children's environmental health in China.
authors.affiliation: MOE and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Research Base of Key Laboratory of Surveillance and Early-warning on Infectious Disease in China CDC, Shanghai Pudong New Area Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Limei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Caifeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yijun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: MOE and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: tianmiejp@sjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
keywords: Children; China; Neurodevelopment; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Prenatal