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Prenatal exposure to organic solvents and child neurobehavioral performance

C Till1, G Koren, J F Rovet

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Neurotoxicology and Teratology
|June 22, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy was linked to lower receptive and expressive language skills and graphomotor ability in children. Some exposed children also showed more behavioral problems.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Maternal occupational exposures during pregnancy can impact child neurodevelopment.
  • Organic solvents are common in various industries, posing potential risks to pregnant workers and their offspring.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy and cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children.
  • To compare the neurodevelopmental and behavioral functioning of children exposed prenatally to organic solvents with a matched unexposed group.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study involving 3- to 7-year-old children (n=61) with and without prenatal organic solvent exposure.
  • Cognitive and behavioral assessments included NEPSY subtests, a Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
  • Exposure was quantified using a maternal occupational exposure index derived from questionnaire data.

Main Results:

  • Children with higher prenatal organic solvent exposure showed significantly lower scores in receptive language, expressive language, and graphomotor ability.
  • No significant differences were found in attention, visuo-spatial ability, or fine-motor skills between exposed and unexposed groups.
  • While overall behavioral issues were not significantly different, a greater proportion of exposed children exhibited mild or severe problem behaviors on the CBCL.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy is associated with deficits in specific cognitive and neuromotor domains in offspring.
  • The findings highlight the need for protective measures for pregnant workers in industries using organic solvents.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the long-term neurodevelopmental consequences and underlying mechanisms.

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