title: Childhood exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and neurodevelopment at six years of age.
abstract: Mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are present in indoor environments. Studies of the developmental effects of exposure to these chemicals in large prospective mother-child cohorts are required, with data on prenatal exposure and long-term follow-up of the children. We aimed to investigate the relationship between prenatal and childhood exposure to PBDEs and neurodevelopment at the age of six years. We determined the levels of PBDEs and other neurotoxicants in cord blood and dust collected from the homes of children for 246 families included in the PELAGIE mother-child cohort in France. We assessed two cognitive domains of the six-year-old children using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV. Verbal comprehension scores were lower in children from homes with higher concentrations of BDE99 (βDetects<median_vs_NonDetects=-1.6; 95% CI: -6.1, 2.9; βDetects≥median_vs_NonDetects=-5.4; -9.9, -1.0; p trend=0.02) and of BDE209 (β2nd_vs_1st_tertile=-1.8; 95% CI: -6.1, 2.5; β3rd_vs_1st_tertile=-3.2; -7.5, 1.2; p trend=0.15) in dust, particularly for boys (p trend=0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Working memory scores seemed to be lower in children with higher BDE99 concentrations in dust (p trend=0.10). No association was observed with cord blood levels of BDE209. Our findings are in agreement with those of four previous studies suggesting adverse cognitive outcomes among children associated with early-life exposure to penta-BDE mixtures, and provide new evidence for the potential neurotoxicity of BDE209. Several countries are in the process of banning the use of PBDE mixtures as flame-retardants. However, these compounds are likely to remain present in the environment for a long time to come.
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France. Electronic address: cecile.chevrier@univ-rennes1.fr.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chevrier
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Charline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Warembourg
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Psychology, Cognition and Communication, University of Rennes 2, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Gaïd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Le Maner-Idrissi
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Psychology, Cognition and Communication, University of Rennes 2, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lacroix
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Psychology, Cognition and Communication, University of Rennes 2, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dardier
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Psychology, Cognition and Communication, University of Rennes 2, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Le Sourn-Bissaoui
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; Réseau « Bien Naître en Ille et Vilaine », Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rouget
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monfort
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire du Centre de Toxicologie (CTQ), Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaudreau
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; EHESP School of Public Health, Sorbonne, Paris Cité, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mercier
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; EHESP School of Public Health, Sorbonne, Paris Cité, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bonvallot
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; EHESP School of Public Health, Sorbonne, Paris Cité, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glorennec
authors.affiliation: École de psychologie, Université Laval, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muckle
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; EHESP School of Public Health, Sorbonne, Paris Cité, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Le Bot
authors.affiliation: U1085 Irset Research Institute of Health Environment and Work, Inserm, Rennes, France; University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Sylvaine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cordier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000187:drug effects; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
keywords: Brominated flame retardant; Childhood; Exposure; Neurodevelopment; Pregnancy