Prenatal Exposure to Organochlorines and Infant Behavior
Author Information
Author(s): Sagiv Sharon K., Nugent J. Kevin, Brazelton T. Berry, Choi Anna L., Tolbert Paige E., Altshul Larisa M., Korrick Susan A.
Primary Institution: Harvard School of Public Health
Hypothesis
Is prenatal organochlorine exposure associated with measures of attention in early infancy?
Conclusion
The study found evidence for an association between low-level prenatal PCB and DDE exposures and poor attention in early infancy.
Supporting Evidence
- Consistent inverse associations were observed between cord serum PCB and DDE levels and NBAS measures of alertness.
- The decrement in quality of alert responsiveness score was −0.51 for the highest quartile of PCB exposure compared to the lowest.
- Most infants showed a decline in attention-related scores with increasing quartile of exposure.
Takeaway
Babies whose mothers were exposed to certain chemicals during pregnancy may have trouble paying attention when they are very young.
Methodology
The study analyzed cord serum levels of PCBs and DDE in 788 infants and assessed their attention using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to missing data and the reliance on maternal reports for some covariates.
Limitations
The study was limited by the need for both birth and 2-week exam data for some analyses, which reduced power.
Participant Demographics
Mothers were mostly white, over 80% graduated from high school, and more than a third had low income.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
−0.99 to −0.03
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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