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Prenatal serum thallium exposure and 36-month-old children's attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms:

Juan Tong1, Chun-Mei Liang2, Kung Huang2

  • 1Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People's Republic of China.

Chemosphere
|February 14, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to thallium (Tl), a toxic heavy metal, is linked to increased attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children. High Tl levels in the second trimester of pregnancy were associated with a greater risk, particularly in boys.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Thallium (Tl) is a toxic heavy metal associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.
  • Limited research exists on prenatal Tl exposure's impact on children's neurobehavioral development.
  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with potential environmental risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal thallium (Tl) exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in 36-month-old children.
  • To examine Tl exposure levels during different pregnancy trimesters and in umbilical cord blood.
  • To identify potential sex-specific effects of prenatal Tl exposure on ADHD symptoms.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 2851 mother-newborn pairs in the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort Study (MABC).
  • Measured serum Tl concentrations during the first, second, and third trimesters, and in umbilical cord blood.
  • Assessed ADHD symptoms using the Chinese version of the Conners abbreviated symptom questionnaire (C-ASQ) in 36-month-old children.

Main Results:

  • Elevated serum Tl levels in the second trimester (third and fourth quartiles) were associated with a significantly higher risk of ADHD symptoms (OR 2.00-2.08).
  • Boys exposed to the highest quartile of Tl in the second trimester showed an increased risk of ADHD symptoms (adjusted OR 2.08).
  • No significant association was found for Tl exposure in the first or third trimesters, or in cord blood.

Conclusions:

  • High thallium (Tl) exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children.
  • The observed association between second-trimester Tl exposure and ADHD symptoms was specific to male infants.
  • Findings highlight the potential neurodevelopmental risks of environmental heavy metal exposure during critical prenatal periods.

Keywords:
Gender differenceNeurobehavioural developmentPrenatal exposureSerumThallium

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