Prenatal Exposure to Perfluorinated Chemicals and Behavioral or Coordination Problems at Age 7 Years

• Published in: Environmental health perspectives Vol. 119; no. 4; pp. 573 - 578
• Main Authors: Fei, Chunyuan, Olsen, Jørn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Research Triangle Park, NC National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 01.04.2011; US Department of Health and Human Services
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Alcohol drinking; Alkanesulfonic Acids - blood; Alkanesulfonic Acids - toxicity; Ammonium perfluorooctanoate; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Body mass index; Caprylates - blood; Caprylates - toxicity; Chemical hazards; Child; Child Behavior - drug effects; Childhood; Children; Children's Health; Cohort Studies; Disorders; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Female; Fluorocarbons - blood; Fluorocarbons - toxicity; Gestation; Health; Health aspects; Human; Humans; Maternal age; Medical sciences; Motors; Patent foramen ovale; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Prenatal exposure; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - epidemiology; Psychological aspects; Psychomotor Performance - drug effects; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Questionnaires; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States; Human; Coordination; Organic perhalocompound; Toxicity; behavioral problems; Nervous system; coordination disorders; maternal blood; PFOA; Blood; Prenatal; Health and environment; Mother; neurodevelopment; Behavior; Fluorine Organic compounds; Child; Age; PFOS
• ISSN: 0091-6765; 1552-9924
• DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1002026

Objective: Potential neurotoxic effects of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been reported in highly exposed animals, but whether these chemicals are neurotoxic in humans is not known. We therefore investigated whether prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfate (PFOS), two of the most prevalent PFCs, are associated with behavioral or coordination problems in early childhood. Methods: We used data from the Danish National Birth Cohort, which enrolled mothers in early pregnancy, and we measured maternal blood levels of PFOA and PFOS using specimens drawn around 8 weeks of gestation. When the children reached 7 years of age, mothers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, n = 787) and the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ, n = 526) to assess behavioral health and motor coordination of their children. SDQ scores above the 90th percentile were a priori defined to identify behavioral problems and DCDQ scores below the 10th percentile were defined as a potential DCD. Results: The median concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in maternal blood were 34.4 ng/mL [interquartile range (IQR), 26.6-44.5] and 5.4 ng/mL (IQR, 4.0-7.1), respectively, similar to distributions reported for populations without occupational exposure. We found no association between higher SDQ scores and maternal levels of PFOS or PFOA, nor did we see any statistically significant association with motor coordination disorders. Conclusion: The findings suggest that background levels of PFOA and PFOS are not associated with behavioral and motor coordination problems in childhood. However, effects on other developmental end points, including cognitive, attentional, and clinical mental disorders not measured in this study, cannot be ruled out.