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Prenatal organochlorine exposure and measures of behavior in infancy using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale
Sharon K Sagiv1, J Kevin Nugent, T Berry Brazelton
1Department of Environmental Health, Channing Laboratory, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sharon.sagiv@channing.harvard.edu
Insights
Prenatal exposure to organochlorines like PCBs and DDE was linked to poorer attention in infants. This study examined early attention measures in babies exposed to these common environmental contaminants.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Toxicology
Background:
- Organochlorine compounds, including PCBs and DDE, are persistent environmental pollutants.
- Previous research suggests a link between organochlorine exposure and behavioral issues in children, such as inattention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to organochlorines and attention measures in early infancy.
- To assess the impact of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) on infant attention.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 788 infants born between 1993-1998 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was studied.
- Cord serum levels of PCBs and DDE were measured.
- Infant attention was assessed using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) at 2 weeks of age.
Main Results:
- Inverse associations were observed between cord serum PCB and DDE levels and measures of alertness and responsiveness.
- Higher prenatal organochlorine exposure was linked to decreased quality of alert responsiveness and motor maturity.
- No significant association was found with infant orientation, habituation, or regulation of state.
Conclusions:
- Low-level prenatal exposure to PCBs and DDE is associated with diminished attention in early infancy.
- Further research is needed to determine if these attention deficits persist into childhood.
Background:
Previous literature suggests an association between organochlorines and behavioral measures in childhood, including inattention.
Objective:
This study was designed to assess whether prenatal organochlorine exposure is associated with measures of attention in early infancy.
Methods:
We investigated an association between cord serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) levels and measures of attention from the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) in a cohort of 788 infants born 1993-1998 to mothers residing near a PCB-contaminated harbor and Superfund site in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Results:
Medians (ranges) for the sum of four prevalent PCB congeners and DDE levels were 0.19 (0.01-4.41) and 0.30 (0-10.29) ng/g serum, respectively. For the 542 subjects with an NBAS exam at 2 weeks, we observed consistent inverse associations between cord serum PCB and DDE levels and NBAS measures of alertness, quality of alert responsiveness, cost of attention, and other potential attention-associated measures including self-quieting and motor maturity. For example, the decrement in quality of alert responsiveness score was -0.51 (95% confidence interval, -0.99 to -0.03) for the highest quartile of exposure to the sum of four prevalent PCB congeners compared with the lowest quartile. We found little evidence for an association with infant orientation, habituation, and regulation of state, assessed as summary cluster measures.
Conclusions:
Our findings provide evidence for an association between low-level prenatal PCB and DDE exposures and poor attention in early infancy. Further analyses will focus on whether organochlorine-associated decrements in attention and attention-related skills in infancy persist in later childhood.
