Prenatal and early-life polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels and behavior in Inuit preschoolers.

• Published in: Environment International
• Main Authors: Verner, Marc-André, Plusquellec, Pierrich, Desjardins, Justine Laura, Cartier, Chloé, Haddad, Sami, Ayotte, Pierre, Dewailly, Éric, Muckle, Gina
• Other Authors: Département des Sciences Biologiques, TOXEN-Université du Québec à Montréal = University of Québec in Montréal (UQAM), Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS), Université du Québec à Montréal = University of Québec in Montréal (UQAM), Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset), Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Rennes (UR)-École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique EHESP (EHESP)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes ( Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique ), Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval Québec (ULaval), Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, CHU Québec, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, CHU Québec-CHU Québec-École de psychologie, Université Laval Québec (ULaval)-Université Laval Québec (ULaval), State of Michigan, R01 ES007902, NIEHS/U.S. NIH, #239, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, FRSQ-Hydro-Québec (Environmental Child Health Initiative), Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2015
• Subjects: Postnatal exposure; Preschoolers; Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); Behavior; Pharmacokinetic modeling; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; inuit; inuits
• Online Access: https://univ-rennes.hal.science/hal-01134338; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2015.02.004

International audience Background - Whereas it is well established that prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can disrupt children's behavior, early postnatal exposure has received relatively little attention in environmental epidemiology. Objectives - To evaluate prenatal and postnatal exposures to PCB-153, a proxy of total PCB exposure, and their relation to inattention and activity in 5-year-old Inuits from the Cord Blood Monitoring Program. Methods - Prenatal exposure to PCBs was informed by cord plasma PCB-153 levels. We used a validated pharmacokinetic model to estimate monthly infants' levels across the first year of life. Inattention and activity were assessed by coding of video recordings of children undergoing fine motor testing. We used multivariable linear regression to evaluate the association between prenatal and postnatal PCB-153 levels and inattention (n=97) and activity (n=98) at 5years of age. Results - Cord plasma PCB-153 was not associated with inattention and activity. Each interquartile range (IQR) increase in estimated infant PCB-153 levels at 2months was associated with a 1.02% increase in the duration of inattention (95% CI: 0.04, 2.00). Statistical adjustment for the duration of breastfeeding slightly increased regression coefficients for postnatal level estimates, some of which became statistically significant for inattention (months: 2-4) and activity (months: 2-5). Conclusions - Our study adds to the growing evidence of postnatal windows of development during which children are more susceptible to neurotoxicants like PCBs.