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Lactational exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and its relation to social and emotional development among

Kate Hoffman1, Margaret Adgent, Barbara Davis Goldman

  • 1University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.

Environmental Health Perspectives
|July 21, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Early exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in breast milk may be subtly linked to increased activity and impulsivity behaviors in toddlers. Further research is needed to confirm these findings on flame retardant exposure.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used flame retardants and persistent environmental contaminants.
  • Previous studies suggest PBDEs may negatively impact neurodevelopment in animal and human studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal breast milk levels of PBDEs and social-emotional development in toddlers.
  • To assess specific PBDE congeners and their relationship with toddler behavior.

Main Methods:

  • The study followed a cohort of mother-child pairs from pregnancy through 36 months of age.
  • Breast milk samples were analyzed for five PBDE congeners (BDEs 28, 47, 99, 100, 153).
  • Mothers completed the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) when children were around 30 months old.

Main Results:

  • A consistent, though small and imprecise, positive association was observed between BDEs 47, 99, and 100 and increased externalizing behaviors, particularly activity/impulsivity.
  • Children in higher quartiles of BDE-47 exposure showed higher adjusted externalizing behavior scores.
  • No significant associations were found between PBDEs and other social-emotional developmental domains.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life exposure to PBDEs via breast milk may be subtly associated with increased activity/impulsivity behaviors in early childhood.
  • These findings highlight a potential neurodevelopmental impact of PBDEs.
  • Further longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm these associations.
Abstract

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