Prenatal and childhood polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposure and attention and executive function at 9-12 years of age

Objective: California children's exposures to polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) are among the highest measured worldwide. We previously reported associations for prenatal and childhood PBDE exposures with decrements in attention, processing speed, fine motor coordination, and cognition in children at ages 5 and 7 years. Here, we investigate associations of PBDEs with attention and executive function at ages 9 to 12 years in the expanded CHAMACOS cohort.

Methods: We measured PBDEs in prenatal and child age 9 year serum samples for families enrolled in the study since pregnancy ("CHAM1", N=321). In a subsequent cohort for which families were enrolled at child age 9 ("CHAM2", N=301), we measured PBDEs in maternal and child samples collected at child age 9, and used predictive modeling to estimate prenatal exposure levels. We examined associations of measured and estimated PBDE concentrations on children's attention and executive functioning at ages 9, 10½, and 12 years.

Results: Geometric means for prenatal and childhood ΣPBDE levels (sum of PBDE-47, -99, -100, -153) for the expanded CHAMACOS cohort were 26.3 and 63.2 ng/g lipid, respectively, and did not differ significantly between CHAM1 and CHAM2 families. We found consistent associations of prenatal exposure to PBDEs with poorer attention and executive function, measured with parent report and direct neuropsychological testing of the child. For example, using GEE models of repeated outcome measures at ages 9 and 12, a 10-fold increase in prenatal ΣPBDE was associated with poorer response consistency on the Conners' Continuous Performance Test II (β=2.9; 95% CI: 0.9, 4.8) and poorer working memory on the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (β=2.5; 95% CI: 0.5, 4.4). Child age 9 ΣPBDE levels were associated with poorer parent-reported attention and executive function for girls but not boys.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the prefrontal cortex may be a potential target for PBDE exposure and add to a growing literature showing that these ubiquitous toxicants may adversely affect neurodevelopment.