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. 2014 Dec 5;73:10.3402/ijch.v73.25808. doi: 10.3402/ijch.v73.25808

Table I.

Paediatric studies

Study Contaminant Outcome Population Results*
Infections
Jensen (19) PCBs and OCPs Otitis media Mother–child pairs (n=400) and children 4–10 years of age at follow-up (n=223)
(participation rate: 56%) 		No association
Dallaire (20) PCBs Acute respiratory infection Children 0–5 years of age (n=343)
(participation rate: 70%) 		Cord PCB-153

  • Acute otitis media: RR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.20–1.55

  • LRTI: RR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.20–1.72

  • URTI or hospitalization: No association
Dallaire (21) PCBs and p,p′-DDE Acute infections Infants during the first 12 months of life (n=199) Maternal PCB-153

  • LRTI (first 6 months): RR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.00–2.81 (3rd exposure quartile)

  • GI infection (12 months): RR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.01–2.49 (3rd exposure quartile)


Maternal p,p′-DDE

  • URTI (first 6 months): RR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.05–2.33 (2nd exposure quartile)

  • URTI (12 months): RR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.00–1.78 (2nd exposure quartile)

  • Otitis media (first 6 months): RR=1.83, 95% CI: 1.09–3.07 (3rd exposure quartile)

  • All infections (first 6 months): RR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.03–1.73 (3rd exposure quartile)

  • GI infection (12 months): RR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.03–2.47 (2nd exposure quartile)


Child PCB or p,p′-DDE: No association
Dewailly (22) PCBs and OCPs Infections and immune status Newborns followed up to 12 months of age (n=171) Breast milk Mirex

  • Acute otitis media (4–7 months): RR=1.88, 95% CI: 1.14–3.08 (2nd exposure tertile)


Breast milk dieldrin

  • Acute otitis media (4–7 months): RR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.05–2.91 (3rd exposure tertile)


Breast milk HCB

  • Acute otitis media (first 12 months): RR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.10–2.03) (3rd exposure tertile)


Breast milk p,p′-DDE

  • Acute otitis media (first 12 months): RR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.05–2.22) (3rd exposure tertile)


Breast milk PCBs: No association
Bronchopulmonary diseases: No association
Immunological parameters: No association
Behavioural
Boucher (27) PCBs, Hg and Pb ADHD Children followed from birth to 11 years of age (n=279)
(participation rate: 95%) 		Cord Hg

  • Attention problems: Positive association (β=0.13, 95% CI: 0.00–0.25)

  • Disruptive Behaviour Disorders score:

     OR=2.87, 95% CI: 1.04–7.94 (ADHD-inattentive type, 3rd exposure tertile)

     OR=2.92, 95% CI: 1.07–8.04 (ADHD-hyperactive impulsive type, 3rd exposure tertile)


Child blood Pb

  • Externalizing problems: Positive association (β=0.14, 95% CI: 0.01–0.26)

  • Disruptive Behaviour Disorders score:

     OR=5.52, 95% CI: 1.38–22.12 (ADHD-hyperactive impulsive type, 3rd exposure tertile)


PCB-153: No association
Verner (28) PCBs Attention and activity Infants followed from birth to 11 months of age (n=168) Cord PCB-153

  • Inattention: Positive association (Spearman’s correlation=0.205)


Infant blood PCB-153

  • Non-elicited activity: Positive association (Spearman’s correlation=0.182 at 11 months of age)
Plusquellec (29) PCBs, Hg and Pb Behavioural indicators Children followed from birth to 5 years of age (n=110) Cord PCB-153

  • Happiness: Inverse association (β=−0.22)

  • Anxiety: Positive association (β=0.26)

  • Global activity latency: Inverse association (β=−0.25)

  • Positive affect rate: Inverse association (β=−0.24)


Child blood Pb

  • Impulsivity: Positive association (β=0.20)

  • Irritability: Positive association (β=0.20)

  • Inattention: Positive association (β=0.21)


Hg: No association
Plusquellec (35) Pb Behavioural function Infants 11 months of age (n=169) Cord Pb

  • Frenetic activity: Associated with greater activity (β=−0.16)

  • Off-task duration: Positive association (β=0.17)

  • Off-task latency: Inverse association (β=−0.20)


No association with other measures
Fraser (36) Pb Motor function and behaviour Children 5 years of age (n=110) Child blood Pb

  • Impulsivity: Positive association (Pearson correlation=0.25)

  • Activity: Positive association (Pearson correlation=0.25)


No association with attention level
Neurological
Ethier (23) PCBs, Hg and Pb Visual brain development Children followed from birth to 10–13 years of age (n=172) Cord Hg

  • N75 amplitude at 95% contract level: Positive association (β=0.206)

  • N75 latency at 12% contrast level: Positive association (β=0.285)


Cord Pb

  • N150 latency: Positive association (β=0.238, 0.209, 0.251 at 95%, 12% and 4% contrast levels respectively)


PCB-153: No association
Boucher (24) PCBs Response inhibition error monitoring Children followed from birth to a mean age of 11 years (n=196) Child plasma PCB-153

  • Reaction times: Positive association (i.e. slower times) (β=0.18 for go trials)

  • Amplitudes of Pe and Pc response-related potentials: Inverse association (β=−0.16 and −0.20 respectively)


Cord Pb:

  • Correct responses: Inverse association (i.e. fewer correct responses) (β=−0.21 and −0.17 for correct go and no-go responses respectively)

Child blood Pb

  • Correct responses on no-go trials (false alarms): Inverse association (more false alarms) (β=−0.16)

  • P3 amplitudes: Inverse association (β=−0.16 and −0.23 for go and no-go trials respectively


Hg: No association
Boucher (25) PCBs and Hg Information processing Children followed from birth to 11 years of age (n=118) Cord PCB: No association with sample as a whole

  • P3b amplitude in subgroup of children breast-fed for >3 months: Inverse association (β=−0.32)


Cord Hg

  • Reaction times: Positive association (i.e. slower time) (β=0.15)

  • False alarms: Inverse association (i.e. fewer false alarms) (β=−0.21)

  • N1 latency: Positive association (β=0.29)

  • N1 amplitude: Inverse association (β=−032)
Boucher (32) Pb Working memory Children 5 years of age (n=104) or 11 years of age (n=201)
(participation rate: 26% for ERP at 5 years and 55% for ERP at 11 years) 		Cord Pb (5 years)

  • P3b amplitude: Inverse association (β=−0.38)


Child blood Pb (5 years)

  • P3b latency: Positive association (β=0.37)


Pb (11 years): No association
Saint-Amour (33) PCBs and Hg Visual brain processing Children followed from birth to 5–6 years of age (n=102) Child plasma PCB-153

  • P100 latency at 95% contrast: Positive association (β=2.50)

  • N150 latency at 12% contrast: Positive association (β=5.58)

  • N75–P100 amplitude at 95% contrast: Inverse association (β=−3.74)


Cord Hg

  • P100 latency at 30% contrast: Positive association (β=3.34)


Child blood Hg

  • N75 early latency at 95% and 30% contrasts: Inverse association (β=−3.90 and −3.18, respectively)

  • P100 latency at 95% and 30% contrasts: Inverse association (β=−3.26 and −3.94, respectively)
Després (26) PCBs, Hg and Pb Neuromotor functions Children followed from birth to pre-school (n=110) Child plasma PCB-153

  • Sway oscillations: Positive association (β=0.22 for transversal sway)


Child blood Hg

  • Tremor: Positive association (β=0.20)


Child blood Pb

  • Reaction time: Positive association (i.e. slower time) (β=0.24)

  • Sway oscillations: Positive association (β=0.24, 0.22, 0.26 for velocity, sagittal and transversal sway)

  • Movement irregularity: Positive association (β=0.22)

  • Coherence between hands: Inverse association (β=−0.29)

  • Synkinesis: Positive association (β=0.23)

  • Tremor: Positive association (β=0.24)
Weihe (34) Hg Neurobehavioural performance Children followed from birth to 7–12 years of age (n=21) and children 7–12 years of age (n=22) Maternal hair Hg

  • Hand–eye coordination (error score): Positive association (r=0.44)


Peak latencies on brainstem auditory evoked potentials prolonged at higher exposure levels when data combined with other cohorts (Faroes and Madeira)
Cardiovascular and endocrine
Valera (31) Hg Blood pressure and heart rate variability Children followed from birth to 11 years of age (n=226)
(participation rate: 46%) 		Child blood Hg

  • HRV – low frequency: Inverse association (β=−0.24)

  • HRV – SDNN: Inverse association (β=−0.28)

  • HRV – SDANN: Inverse association (β=−0.32)

  • HRV – CVRR: Inverse association (β=−0.06)


Blood Pressure: No association
Sandau (30) PCBs, PCP and octachlorostyrene Thyroid function Newborns (n=10) Cord PCP

  • T3, TBG and fT4: Inverse association (r=−0.55, −0.44, −0.51 respectively)


Cord ΣPCBs and ΣPCB hydroxylated metabolites

  • TSH: Inverse association (r=−0.46 and −0.45 respectively)


Sum of all cord chlorinated phenolic compounds

  • T3 and fT4: Inverse association (r=−0.48 and −0.47 respectively)

ADHD=attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; CI=confidence interval; CVRR=coefficient of variation of R-R intervals; DDE=dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene; ERP=event-related potential; fT4=free thyroxine; GI=gastrointestinal; HCB=hexachlorobenzene; Hg=mercury; HRV=heart rate variability; LRTI=lower respiratory tract infection; OCPs=organochlorine pesticides; OR=odds ratio; Pb=lead; PCBs=polychlorinated biphenyls; PCP=pentachlorophenol; RR=relative risk; SDANN=standard deviation of R-R intervals measured over 5 min periods; SDNN=standard deviation of R-R intervals; T3=triiodothyronine; TBG=thyroxine-binding globulin; TSH=thyroid-stimulating hormone; URTI=upper respiratory tract infection

*

Adjusted estimates are presented where available. Presented estimates are statistically significant at p≤0.05 level.