Combined effects of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and material hardship on child IQ

Julia Vishnevetsky; Deliang Tang; Hsin-Wen Chang; Emily L Roen; Ya Wang; Virginia Rauh; Shuang Wang; Rachel L Miller; Julie Herbstman; Frederica P Perera

doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2015.04.002

Combined effects of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and material hardship on child IQ

Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2015 May-Jun:49:74-80. doi: 10.1016/j.ntt.2015.04.002. Epub 2015 Apr 23.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
² Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
³ Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; The Heilbrunn Center for Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA.
⁴ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care of Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: fpp1@columbia.edu.

Abstract

Importance: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are common carcinogenic and neurotoxic urban air pollutants. Toxic exposures, including air pollution, are disproportionately high in communities of color and frequently co-occur with chronic economic deprivation.

Objectives: We examined whether the association between child IQ and prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons differed between groups of children whose mothers reported high vs. low material hardship during their pregnancy and through child age 5. We tested statistical interactions between hardships and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as measured by DNA adducts in cord blood, to determine whether material hardship exacerbated the association between adducts and IQ scores.

Design: Prospective cohort. Participants were recruited from 1998 to 2006 and followed from gestation through age 7 years.

Setting: Urban community (New York City)

Participants: A community-based sample of 276 minority urban youth EXPOSURE MEASURE: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in cord blood as an individual biomarker of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure. Maternal material hardship self-reported prenatally and at multiple timepoints through early childhood.

Main outcome measure: Child IQ at 7 years assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.

Results: Significant inverse effects of high cord PAH-DNA adducts on full scale IQ, perceptual reasoning and working memory scores were observed in the groups whose mothers reported a high level of material hardship during pregnancy or recurring high hardship into the child's early years, and not in those without reported high hardship. Significant interactions were observed between high cord adducts and prenatal hardship on working memory scores (β = -8.07, 95% CI (-14.48, -1.66)) and between high cord adducts and recurrent material hardship (β = -9.82, 95% CI (-16.22, -3.42)).

Conclusion: The findings add to other evidence that socioeconomic disadvantage can increase the adverse effects of toxic physical "stressors" like air pollutants. Observed associations between high cord adducts and reduced IQ were significant only among the group of children whose mothers reported high material hardship. These results indicate the need for a multifaceted approach to prevention.

Keywords: Adducts; Air pollution; Child IQ; PAH; Prenatal exposure.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Intelligence / drug effects*
Intelligence Tests
Male
Memory, Short-Term / drug effects
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / adverse effects*
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / blood
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / urine
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / psychology*
Problem Solving / drug effects
Prospective Studies
Socioeconomic Factors
Urban Health
Urban Population

Substances

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding