Childhood exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and neurodevelopment at six years of age

• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.03.002
• Publication Date: 2016-03-05T19:10:27Z
• Authors: Cécile Chevrier; Charline Warembourg; Gaïd Le Maner-Idr...; Agnès Lacroix; Virginie Dardier; Sandrine Le Sourn...; Florence Rouget; Christine Monfort; Eric Gaudreau; Fabien Mercier; Nathalie Bonvallot; Philippe Glorennec; Gina Muckle; Barbara Le Bot; Sylvaine Cordier
• Keywords: Adult; Male; 330; Developmental Disabilities; Neurodevelopment; Mothers; Neuropsychological Tests; 01 natural sciences; Exposure; Cohort Studies; Pregnancy; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; Humans; Child; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; Fetal Blood; Lipid Metabolism; Childhood; Mother-Child Relations; 3. Good health; Ppolybrominated diphenyl ethers; [SDV.TOX] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology; [SDV.SPEE] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Santé publique et épidémiologie; [SDV.TOX]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology; Brominated flame retardant; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; [SDV.SPEE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Santé publique et épidémiologie; Female

Mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are present in indoor environments. Studies of the developmental effects of exposure to these chemicals in large prospective mother-child cohorts are required, with data on prenatal exposure and long-term follow-up of the children. We aimed to investigate the relationship between prenatal and childhood exposure to PBDEs and neurodevelopment at the age of six years. We determined the levels of PBDEs and other neurotoxicants in cord blood and dust collected from the homes of children for 246 families included in the PELAGIE mother-child cohort in France. We assessed two cognitive domains of the six-year-old children using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV. Verbal comprehension scores were lower in children from homes with higher concentrations of BDE99 (βDetects<median_vs_NonDetects=-1.6; 95% CI: -6.1, 2.9; βDetects≥median_vs_NonDetects=-5.4; -9.9, -1.0; p trend=0.02) and of BDE209 (β2nd_vs_1st_tertile=-1.8; 95% CI: -6.1, 2.5; β3rd_vs_1st_tertile=-3.2; -7.5, 1.2; p trend=0.15) in dust, particularly for boys (p trend=0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Working memory scores seemed to be lower in children with higher BDE99 concentrations in dust (p trend=0.10). No association was observed with cord blood levels of BDE209. Our findings are in agreement with those of four previous studies suggesting adverse cognitive outcomes among children associated with early-life exposure to penta-BDE mixtures, and provide new evidence for the potential neurotoxicity of BDE209. Several countries are in the process of banning the use of PBDE mixtures as flame-retardants. However, these compounds are likely to remain present in the environment for a long time to come.