Neurodevelopment of Infants with Prenatal Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers

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Abstract

The study aimed to examine the impact of prenatal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) on infant neurodevelopment. PBDEs levels in 36 cord blood samples were analyzed with a high-resolution-gas-chromatograph/high-resolution-mass-spectrometer and infant neurodevelopment was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. The mean and median of Σ11PBDEs were 6.63 and 4.63 ng/g lipid, respectively. As compared to the lower PBDEs group (Σ11PBDEs < 4.63 ng/g lipid), the higher PBDEs group (Σ11PBDEs > 4.63 ng/g lipid) had a significantly higher actual odds ratio (OR = 1.13, p < 0.05) of the cognition score as well as a lower odds ratio (OR = 0.904, p < 0.01) of the adaptive behavior score, suggesting that prenatal PBDEs exposure may potentially affect infant neurodevelopment.

Keywords

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) Cord blood Infants Neurodevelopment Bayley scale of infants and toddlers development 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Science Council (NSC 96-2628-E-020-001-MY3) and the National Health Research Institutes (EO-099-PP-03, EO-100-PP-03) in Taiwan. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Pharmacy and Graduate Institute of Pharmaceutical TechnologyTajen UniversityYanpu Pingtung CountyTaiwan
  2. 2.Emerging Compounds Research Center, Department of Environmental Science and EngineeringNational Pingtung University of Science and TechnologyNeipu Pingtung CountyTaiwan
  3. 3.Department of RadiologyPingtung Christian HospitalPingtung City PingtungTaiwan
  4. 4.Institute of Behavioral Medicine, Medical CollegeNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainanTaiwan
  5. 5.Department of Chemical and Materials EngineeringCheng-Shiu UniversityNiaosong, Kaohsiung CityTaiwan
  6. 6.Division of Environmental Health and Occupational MedicineNational Health Research InstitutesZhunan Miaoli CountyTaiwan

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