Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2025
Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Prenatal exposure to benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles and child neurodevelopment: A longitudinal study
Shuting Cao1, Jiangtao Liu1, Ling Yu1
1State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTHs) was linked to lower neurodevelopmental scores in boys, but not girls. This study highlights potential risks of these emerging compounds on child development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Developmental Toxicology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTHs) are emerging benzo-heterocyclic compounds with potential neurotoxic effects.
- The impact of prenatal exposure to BTRs and BTHs on child neurodevelopment remains largely uninvestigated.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for public health and developmental guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal urinary concentrations of BTRs and BTHs during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children at two years of age.
- To examine the effects of single compounds and mixtures of BTRs and BTHs on child neurodevelopment.
- To explore potential sex-specific differences in these associations.
Main Methods:
- A prospective birth cohort study involving 513 mother-child pairs in Wuhan (2014-2015).
- Maternal urinary concentrations of eight BTRs and BTHs were measured across three trimesters.
- Child neurodevelopment was assessed at two years using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, measuring Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI).
Main Results:
- Prenatal exposure to tolyltriazole (TTR) and 1-H-benzotriazole (1-H-BTR) was associated with lower MDI and PDI scores in boys, respectively.
- Maternal urinary benzothiazole (BTH) concentrations during the first, second, and average prenatal periods were negatively associated with boys' PDI scores.
- No significant negative associations were observed for girls, and mixture analysis indicated a negative association between overall BTs and boys' PDI, with BTH being a major contributor.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles is negatively associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in boys.
- The findings suggest that infant sex may modify the association between prenatal BT exposure and neurodevelopment.
- This is the first study to demonstrate a link between prenatal exposure to BTs and adverse child neurodevelopment, emphasizing the need for further research and potential risk assessment.
Abstract:
Benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTHs) are emerging benzo-heterocyclic compounds that may induce neurotoxicity. However, the effect of prenatal exposure to BTs (BTRs and BTHs) on child neurodevelopment has not been elucidated. We aimed to explore the associations between maternal urinary concentrations of BTs in single or in mixture with child neurodevelopment at the age of two. This study recruited 513 mother-child pairs based on a birth cohort from 2014 to 2015 in Wuhan. Maternal urinary concentrations of eight BTs (four BTRs and four BTHs) in the first, second, and third trimesters were measured. The mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) of children, as two indexes of neurodevelopment, were assessed at two years old by the Bayley Scales. In the analyses of single BTs, prenatal average tolyltriazole (TTR) exposure level was associated with decreased boys' MDI scores (β = -2.84, 95 % CI: -5.11, -0.57) and prenatal average 1-H-benzotriazole (1-H-BTR) exposure level was associated with decreased boys' PDI scores (β = -1.44, 95 % CI: -2.70, -0.17), respectively. Maternal urinary concentrations of benzothiazole (BTH) in the 1st trimester (β = -1.79, 95 % CI: -2.78, -0.80), 2nd trimester (β = -1.14, 95 % CI: -2.19, -0.09), and the prenatal average exposure (β = -2.15, 95 % CI: -3.69, -0.61) were also negatively associated with boys' PDI scores. However, no significantly negative association was observed among girls. In the further mixture analysis, the quantile g-computation model found a significant negative association between prenatal average concentrations of BTs in mixture and boys' PDI scores [β = -4.80 (95 % CI: -9.08, -0.52)], and BTH weighted the highest in the negative association. As far as we know, this is the first research to estimate the effect of prenatal exposure to BTs on child neurodevelopment. The findings showed that prenatal exposure to BTs was negatively associated with neurodevelopment among boys, suggesting that the associations may be modified by infant sex.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:07Teratogenicity
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
01:23Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
01:36Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...