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Published on: August 25, 2014
[Prenatal pyrethroid pesticides exposure and neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children: a birth cohort study]
1Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, China.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) during the first trimester may negatively impact child neurodevelopment. This critical window showed reduced motor and adaptive behavior scores in 2-year-olds.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Toxicology
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to environmental contaminants is a growing concern for child neurodevelopment.
- Pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) are widely used, raising questions about their developmental toxicity.
- Identifying critical windows of exposure during pregnancy is crucial for understanding neurodevelopmental risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal pyrethroid pesticide (PYR) exposure and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children.
- To determine if specific gestational periods represent critical windows for PYR neurodevelopmental effects.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study of 482 pregnant women in Xuanwei, China, was conducted.
- Maternal urinary PYR metabolite concentrations were measured during the first, second, and third trimesters.
- Child neurodevelopment was assessed at age 2 using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition.
Main Results:
- High detection rates of PYR metabolites were observed across all trimesters (90.8%–94.2%).
- Exposure to 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4F3PBA), a PYR metabolite, in the first trimester was associated with lower motor and adaptive behavior scores.
- First-trimester 4F3PBA exposure significantly increased the risk of adaptive behavior developmental delay (OR=2.07).
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to pyrethroid pesticides during the first trimester may adversely affect neurodevelopment in young children.
- The first trimester appears to be a critical window for PYR-induced neurodevelopmental impacts.
- Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and inform public health strategies.
Abstract:
Objective: To investigate the influence and critical windows of prenatal exposure to pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) on neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children. Methods: The subjects of this study were derived from the Xuanwei Birth Cohort. A total of 482 pregnant women who participated in the rural district of Xuanwei birth cohort from January 2016 to December 2018 were included. Maternal urinary concentrations of PYRs metabolites during 8-12 gestational weeks, 20-23 gestational weeks and 32-35 gestational weeks were measured with ultra high performance liquid chromatography system coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry detector. Child neurodevelopment was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition at 2 years of age. Multivariate linear regression models and binary logistic regression models were used to assess the association between PYRs exposure during pregnancy and children's neurodevelopment. Results: A total of 360 mother-child pairs had complete data on maternal urinary PYRs metabolites detection and children's neurodevelopment assessment. The detection rate of any one PYRs metabolites during the first, second and third trimester were 93.6% (337/360), 90.8% (327/360) and 94.2% (339/360), respectively. The neurodevelopmental scores of Cognitive, Language, Motor, Social-Emotional, and Adaptive Behavior of 2-year-old children were (102.3±18.9), (100.2±16.3), (102.0±20.3), (107.8±23.3) and (85.8±18.6) points, respectively. After controlling for confounding factors, 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4F3PBA, one of PYRs metabolites) exposure in the first trimester reduced Motor (β=-5.02, 95%CI: -9.08, -0.97) and Adaptive Behavior (β=-4.12, 95%CI:-7.92, -0.32) scores of 2-year-old children, and increased risk of developmental delay of adaptive behavior (OR=2.07, 95%CI:1.13-3.82). Conclusion: PYRs exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy may affect neurodevelopment of 2-year-old children, and the first trimester may be the critical window.
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