Table 4. Results of the hierarchical regression analyses of associations between concentrations of WHO2005-TEq ƩPCDD/Fs, ƩPCBs and ΣPCDD/Fs+PCBs in maternal blood [pg/g lipid base], and SRS, EQ and SQ scores.
| Exposure variable | All | Boys | Girls | Sex * exposure | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| β (95% CI) | p | β (95% CI) | p | β (95% CI) | p | p | |
| SRS total a | |||||||
| PCDD/F b | -6.66 (-11.88, -1.44) | < .05 | -2.37 (-9.18, 4.45) | .48 | -10.98 (-19.43, -2.53) | < .05 | < .05 |
| PCB b | -3.99 (-8.61, .64) | .09 | -1.63 (-8.33, 5.07) | .62 | -6.07 (-13.17, 1.02) | .09 | < .05 |
| PCDD/F+PCB b | -6.81 (-12.13, -1.49) | < .05 | -2.22 (-9.20, 4.77) | .52 | -11.21 (-19.86, -2.57) | < .05 | < .05 |
| SRS SA a | |||||||
| PCDD/F b | -1.18 (-6.47, 4.11) | .66 | -2.91 (-9.81, 3.99) | .40 | 1.06 (-8.01, 10.13) | .81 | < .05 |
| PCB b | -.456 (-5.09, 4.17) | .85 | -2.97 (-9.72, 3.78) | .38 | .53 (-6.67, 7.72) | .83 | .06 |
| PCDD/F+PCB b | -1.06 (-6.48, 4.35) | .70 | -3.06 (-10.12, 3.99) | -.38 | .78 (-8.50, 10.06) | .87 | < .05 |
| SRS SC a | |||||||
| PCDD/F b | -1.53 (-5.87, 2.82) | .49 | 2.95 (-3.01, 8.91) | .32 | -7.04 (-13.22,-.85) | < .05 | .18 |
| PCB b | -1.14 (-4.94, 2.66) | .55 | 2.81 (-3.03, 8.65) | .34 | -5.17 (10.14,-.20) | < .05 | .16 |
| PCDD/F+PCB b | -1.80 (-6.24, 2.64) | .42 | 3.13 (-2.96, 9.22) | .30 | -8.29 (-14.43, -2.15) | < .01 | .19 |
| SRS SCO a | |||||||
| PCDD/F b | -6.24 (-11.13, -1.35) | < .05 | -3.28 (-10.14, 3.57) | .34 | -9.61 (-17.21, -2.01) | < .05 | .13 |
| PCB b | -3.21 (-7.61, 1.19) | .15 | -1.80 (-8.58, 4.98) | .59 | -5.11 (-11.49, 1.28) | .11 | .13 |
| PCDD/F+PCB b | -5.84 (-10.88,-.80) | < .05 | -2.90 (-9.94, 4.14) | .41 | -9.58 (-17.40, -1.77) | < .05 | .16 |
| SRS SM a | |||||||
| PCDD/F b | -6.43 (-11.94,-.911) | < .05 | -6.86 (-13.67,-.062) | < .05 | -4.98 (-13.67, 3.72) | .25 | .08 |
| PCB b | -4.27 (-9.17, .63) | .09 | -5.44 (-12.25, 1.37) | .11 | -1.12 (-8.16, 5.92) | .75 | .09 |
| PCDD/F+PCB b | -6.43 (-12.08,-.78) | < .05 | -6.739 (-13.74, .26) | .06 | -3.90 (-12.88, 5.07) | .38 | .09 |
| SRS AM a | |||||||
| PCDD/F b | -2.06 (-6.06, 1.93) | .31 | 2.74 (-2.51, 7.99) | .30 | -8.39 (-14.14, -2.64) | < .01 | .13 |
| PCB b | -3.65 (-7.05,-.24) | < .05 | 1.71 (-3.49, 6.91) | .51 | -7.86 (-12.14, -3.57) | < .01 | < .05 |
| PCDD/F+PCB b | -3.01 (-7.06, 1.04) | .14 | 2.51 (-2.88, 7.91) | .35 | -9.72 (-15.35, -4.09) | < .01 | .12 |
| EQ a | |||||||
| PCDD/F b | 2.21 (-1.63, 6.05) | .26 | 1.95 (-5.03, 8.93) | .57 | 2.25 (-2.35, 6.84) | .33 | < .001 |
| PCB b | .74 (-2.81, 4.30) | .68 | .51 (-6.35, 7.37) | .88 | .725 (-3.36, 4.81) | .72 | <.001 |
| PCDD/F+PCB b | 1.90 (-2.05, 5.85) | .34 | 1.57 (-5.60, 8.74) | .66 | .903 (-3.380, 5.186) | .67 | < .001 |
| SQ a | |||||||
| PCDD/F b | 1.43 (-2.02, 4.87) | .41 | -.60 (-5.27, 4.07) | .79 | 3.23 (-2.42, 8.88) | .25 | < .05 |
| PCB b | .92 (-2.24, 4.09) | .56 | -.77 (-3.79, 5.33) | .73 | 1.23 (-3.82, 6.27) | .62 | < .05 |
| PCDD/F+PCB b | 1.38 (-2.15, 4.91) | .44 | -.17 (-4.96, 4.62) | .94 | 2.81 (-3.00, 8.62) | .33 | < .05 |
SRS = Social Responsiveness Scale; SRS total = total score of the SRS; SRS SA = Social Awareness subscale score; SRS SC = Social Cognition subscale score; SRS SCO = Social Communication subscale score; SRS SM = Social Motivation subscale score; SRS AM = Autistic Mannerisms subscale score; EQ = Empathy Quotient; SQ = Systemizing Quotient.
aAnalyses of SRS scores included 41 boys and 39 girls. Analyses of EQ and SQ scores included 40 boys and 40 girls.
blog (ln) transformed concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PCDD/Fs+PCBs in maternal blood [pg/g lipid base]. Regression models were adjusted for maternal age at parturition, maternal level of education, age of the child, presence of older siblings, alcohol consumption, smoking during pregnancy and nationality.