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Review of the multiple chemical exposure factors which may disturb human behavioral development

Übersicht über die mehrfachen chemischen Expositions-Faktoren, welche die menschliche Verhaltensentwicklung stören können

Revue sur les multiples facteurs d'exposition chimique pouvant perturber le développement comportemental humain

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Sozial- und Präventivmedizin

Summary

Previous research both in humans and laboratory animals provides evidence that prenatal exposure to metals, pollutants and drugs may impair the neurobehavioral development of the offspring. This may induce mental and psychomotor disturbances as well as learning behavioral and sensory disorders. However proff for a strict causality between some low-level exposures to chemcials and behavioral developmental dysfunctions, is often considered still not to be established. The pertinent studies on neurobehavioral development toxicity of individual substances (lead, cadmium, organic solvents, PCBs, alcohol nicotine, diazepam) are reviewed, and the methodologies and conclusions, the missing aspects and the existing problems which still need to be solved in further studies, are discussed. In addition, the necessity of undertaking a broad prospective cohort study on multifactorial influences on the behavioral development of children is emphasized.

Zusammenfassung

Frühere Untersuchungen sowohl am Menschen als auch am Labortier zeigten, dass vorgeburtliche Exposition auf Metalle, Umweltstoffe, Drogen und Medikamente die Entwicklung des Nervensystemes und des Verhaltens von Kindern stören können. Dies kann Störungen der geistigen und psychomotorischen Entwicklung sowie Lern-, Verhaltens- und Wahrnehmungstörungen bewirken. Trotzdem wird oft angenommen, dass ein Beweis für eine strikte Kausalität zwischen gewissen geringfügigen Expositionen auf Chemikalien und Dysfunktionen der Verhaltensentwicklung noch nicht erbracht worden sei. Die relevanten Studien über die Toxizität individueller Substanzen (Blei, Cadmium, organische Lösungsmittel, PCBs, Alkohol, Nikotin, Diazepam) auf die Entwicklung des Nervensystemes und das Verhalten sind zusammengefasst, und die Methoden, Schlussfolgerungen, die fehlenden Aspekte und bestehenden Probleme, welche durch weitere Studien gelöst werden sollten, werden besprochen. Zudem wird die Notwendigkeit hervorgehoben, dass eine breite prospektive Kohortenstudie über die multifaktoriellen Einflüsse auf die Verhaltensentwicklung von Kindern durchgeführt werden sollte.

Résumé

Des travaux de recherche sur les humains et sur des animaux de laboratoire ont livré de l'évidence que l'exposition prénatale à des métaux, des poluants, des droges et des médicaments peut déranger le développement du système nerveux et du comportement des enfants. Ceci peut inclure des perturbations du développement mental et psychomoteur, ainsi que des dérangements de l'apprentissage, du comportement et de la perception. Toutefois, il est souvent admis que la preuve n'a toujours pas été établie qu'il existe une causalité stricte entre l'exposition à bas niveau à certains produits chimiques et des dérangements du développement comportemental. Des études importantes sur la toxicité de certaines substances (plomb, cadmium, dissolvants organiques, PCBs, alcohol, nicotine, diazepam) sur le développement du système nerveux et du comportement sont présentés et les méthodologies, les conclusions, les aspects manquants et les problèmes existants qui doivent être résolus par des études futures, sont discutés. En plus, on insiste sur la nécessité d'entreprendre une large étude prospective cohorte sur les influences multifactorielles sur le développement comportemental des enfants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Toxicology, ETH and University of Zurich, Scholenstrasse 16, CH-8603, Schwerzenbach

    Jürg Elsner

  2. Department of Cardiology, University Hospital/Inselspital, Bern

    Guizhen Liu

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  1. Guizhen Liu
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  2. Jürg Elsner
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This paper is based on the MD dissertation “Multifactorial prospective epidemiological cohort study on effects due to prenatal exposure to metals, pollutants, and drugs on the behavioral development of Children” by Guizhen Liu under the guidance of Prof. F. Gutzwiller, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich.

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Liu, G., Elsner, J. Review of the multiple chemical exposure factors which may disturb human behavioral development. Soz Präventivmed 40, 209–217 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01354475

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