Table 3. Questionnaire, test, and biological samples collected at the follow-up of 7 years old of children.
Questionnaires, test or biological samples | Information collected |
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (WISC IV)a | Evaluation of the cognitive skills to assess intelligence and cognitive functions of children in the following composite areas: Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, Processing Speed, Full Scale IQ. |
NEuroPSYchological Assessment (NEPSY II)b | Measurement of neuropsychological functions and dysfunctions in preschool and school-age children. We use only some tests regarding the Attention domain and Executive Functioning (Auditory Attention and Response Set, Inhibition). |
MT Reading Testc | Evaluation of the reading skills (speed and accuracy) for early identification of specific Learning Disabilities. |
Writing of 16 words | Evaluation of the writing skills. Participants are asked to write 16 words read aloud by examiner, an Italian standardized test to prevent possible writing difficulties. |
Child behaviour checklist (CBCL)d | Assessment of “social competence” and “behaviour problems” to detect emotional and behavioural problems in children. |
Recall Questionnaire | It was designed to update the information on: family’s sociodemographic, occupational history of parents, housing conditions and changes in residence, parental smoking and drinking, anthropometric measures (weight and height) and general daily care of the child, frequency of child’s fish consumption, child’s health history and child’s lifestyle and habits (involvement in extracurricular activities as sport, use of electronic device, etc). |
3 Days Diet Diary | Assessment of dietary exposure in the child to fill in the week before the neurodevelopmental assessment. |
Urine | Measurement of: THg, As, Cd, Mn, Pb and Se (ng/ml), creatinine, organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides and other pesticides (ng/mL) in the spot urine collected the day before the neurodevelopmental assessment. |
Hair | Measurement of: THg and Mn (ng/mg) |
Saliva | Genotyping analysis. During the visit for the neuropsychological assessment the saliva samples are collected with Oragene DNA self-collection kit in those cases in which the umbilical cord tissue (collected at delivery in the first phase of the study) was not available. |
aWechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition.
bNEuroPSYchological Assessment.
cProve di Lettura MT (Memory and Transfert group Reading Test).
dChild Behaviour CheckList.