title: Prenatal phthalate, triclosan, and bisphenol A exposures and child visual-spatial abilities.
abstract: During fetal development, sex steroids influence sexually dimorphic behaviors, such as visual-spatial abilities. Thus, endocrine disrupting chemicals that impact sex steroids during gestation may affect these behaviors.
  
  
  
  We investigated the relationship between prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite, triclosan, and BPA concentrations and visual-spatial abilities in a prospective cohort of 198 mother-child dyads.
  
  
  
  Data are from a prospective cohort in Cincinnati, OH (HOME Study). We measured nine phthalate metabolites, triclosan, and BPA in maternal urine samples collected at 16 and 26 weeks of gestation. We assessed children's visual-spatial abilities at 8 years of age using the Virtual Morris Water Maze (VMWM), a computerized version of the rodent Morris Water Maze. We quantified the covariate-adjusted change in the time or distance to complete the VMWM and time spent in the correct quadrant during a probe trial with an interquartile range increase in chemical concentrations using linear mixed models and linear regression, respectively.
  
  
  
  Boys completed the VMWM faster (4.1s; 95% CI:-7.1, -1.2) and in less distance (1.4 units; 95% CI:-2.8, 0) than girls. Overall, children with higher mono-n-butyl (MnBP), mono-benzyl (MBzP), and mono-carboxypropyl phthalate concentrations completed the VMWM in less time and distance than children with lower concentrations. For example, children with higher MnBP concentrations completed the VMWM in 0.9 less distance units (95% CI:-1.8, -0.0). Child sex modified the association between MnBP and VMWM performance. In girls, higher MnBP concentrations were associated with longer time (1.7s; 95% CI: -0.7, 4.1) and shorter distance (-1.7 units; 95% CI: -2.8, -0.5), whereas in boys, it was associated with shorter time (-3.0s; 95% CI:-5.6, -0.4), but not distance (-0.1 units; 95% CI:1.4, 1.0). Other phthalate metabolites, triclosan, and BPA were not associated with VMWM performance, and sex did not consistently modify these associations.
  
  
  
  In this cohort, greater prenatal urinary concentrations of some phthalate metabolites were associated with improved VMWM performance, particularly among boys. Future studies should confirm these findings and determine if phthalates affect other hormonally sensitive aspects of child neurobehavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States. Electronic address: joseph_braun_1@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bellinger
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Russ
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.affiliation: Departments of Preventive Medicine and Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine and Mt. Sinai, New York City, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Robert O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
authors.forename: Antonia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Calafat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yolton
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.
authors.forename: Bruce P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lanphear
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D065854:Spatial Navigation / Q000187:drug effects; D014260:Triclosan / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D003404:Creatinine; D010636:Phenols; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D014260:Triclosan; C032279:phthalic acid; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: Children; Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Epidemiology; Prenatal; and neurodevelopment