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Effects of exposure to PCBs and related compounds on growth and activity in children
J L Jacobson1, S W Jacobson, H E Humphrey
1Psychology Department, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was linked to lower child weight. Lactation exposure to PCBs was associated with reduced activity in 4-year-olds.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Development
- Toxicology
Background:
- Children are at risk for exposure to environmental contaminants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
- Previous studies indicate potential health effects from PCB exposure in both animal models and human populations.
- Understanding the specific impacts of prenatal and lactation exposures is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of prenatal and lactation exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on child development.
- To assess the relationship between contemporary body burden of PCBs and developmental outcomes at age 4 years.
- To differentiate the developmental impacts of PCB exposure during different life stages.
Main Methods:
- Evaluation of 236 children from established cohorts at risk for PCB exposure.
- Assessment of prenatal PCB exposure using cord serum PCB levels.
- Assessment of contemporary body burden and lactation exposure using 4-year serum PCB levels and milk PCB levels.
Main Results:
- Prenatal PCB exposure was associated with a significant decrease in average child weight (up to 1.8 kg).
- Contemporary PCB body burden, particularly from lactation, correlated with reduced child activity levels.
- The impact of lactation exposure on activity was most pronounced in children whose mothers had high milk PCB levels and who were breastfed for over a year.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal PCB exposure negatively impacts child growth, consistent with prior research.
- Lactation exposure to PCBs affects child activity levels at contemporary environmental exposure levels.
- This study highlights distinct developmental effects of PCBs depending on the exposure period (prenatal vs. lactation).
Abstract:
Two hundred thirty-six children from two established cohorts at risk for exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and related contaminants were evaluated at age 4 years. Prenatal exposure (assessed by cord serum PCB level) was associated with lower weight, an effect consistent with reports of growth retardation in laboratory rats and in children exposed at high levels in Taiwan and at general population levels in Japan. The highest exposed children weighed 1.8 kg less on the average than the least exposed. Contemporary body burden (assessed by 4-year serum PCB level) was associated with reduced activity based on composite ratings provided by the child's mother and two independent examiners. This effect, attributable to lactation exposure, was strongest among the offspring of women with above average milk PCB levels who breast fed for at least 1 year. While the weight deficit is consistent with previous data linking developmental effects of low-dose human PCB exposures specifically to the prenatal period, activity is the first domain found to be affected by lactation at contemporary levels of exposure.