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Updated: Aug 29, 2025
Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Prenatal pyrethroid exposure and lung function among school-aged children
Peipei Hu1, Yan Zhang2, Angela Vinturache3
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to pyrethroid insecticides (PYRs) may affect children's lung function. Higher 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) levels were linked to reduced FEV1/FVC, especially in girls.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Limited evidence exists on prenatal pyrethroid insecticide (PYR) exposure effects on childhood lung function.
- Previous studies primarily focused on respiratory symptoms, not lung function parameters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal PYR exposure and lung function in Chinese children.
- To assess if PYR metabolites impact spirometry measures in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Included 233 mother-child dyads from the Laizhou Wan Birth Cohort (LWBC).
- Measured three PYR metabolites (3-PBA, cis-DCCA, trans-DCCA) in maternal urine via GC-MS.
- Assessed child lung function using spirometry in children aged 6-8 years; analyzed associations using regression models.
Main Results:
- 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) was the most frequently detected PYR metabolite.
- Higher prenatal 3-PBA concentrations were associated with a 1% decrease in FEV1/FVC.
- A suggestive dose-response trend (p=0.085) and increased susceptibility in girls (p=0.011) were observed; trans-DCCA showed no association.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to 3-PBA is associated with a modest reduction in FEV1/FVC in school-aged children.
- The negative impact on lung function appears more pronounced in girls.
- Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.
Background:
Previous epidemiological evidence mainly focused on the adverse effects of prenatal exposure to pyrethroid insecticides (PYRs) on respiratory health during childhood. It remains unclear whether the PYR exposures can also impact on children's lung function.
Objectives:
To explore the potential effects of prenatal PYR exposures on lung function in a population of Chinese children.
Methods:
This study included 233 mother-child dyads from the Laizhou Wan Birth Cohort (LWBC), Shandong province, northern China, between September 2010 and December 2013. Three metabolites of PYRs [3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), and cis- and trans-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (cis-DCCA and trans-DCCA)] were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in maternal urine samples collected at recruitment. Lung function was assessed with spirometry in children aged 6-8 years. Multivariable linear regression and generalized linear models (GLMs) assessed the associations of prenatal PYR exposures with lung function in children.
Results:
Among the PYR metabolites, 3-PBA (81.5%) were most frequently detected, followed by trans-DCCA (55.4%) and cis-DCCA (21.9%). The 3-PBA concentration was associated with a 1% decrease in FEV1/FVC in the highest quartiles of exposure compared to the lowest quartile, with a potential dose response association (p-trend = 0.085). Our findings provide a suggestive effect modification by sex, with girls being more susceptible than the boys (p-trend = 0.011). However, there were no associations between the trans-DCCA concentration and lung function parameters.
Conclusion:
Prenatal 3-PBA concentrations were associated with a modest decrease in FEV1/FVC among school-aged children, and the association was slightly more pronounced for the girls than for the boys.
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