Exposure to Toxicants During Gestation Linked to Autistic Behaviors

Researchers find maternal exposure to environmental toxicants is correlated to increased expressions of autistic-like behaviors in preschool aged children. The toxicants include metals, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates, and bisphenol-A (BPA).

For the study, researchers measured the levels of 25 chemicals in blood and urine samples collected from 1,861 Canadian women during the first trimester of pregnancy. Social Responsiveness Scale was used to conduct a follow-up survey with 478 participants to assess autistic-like behaviors in preschool children.

Findings revealed that higher concentrations of cadmium, lead, and some phthalates in blood or urine samples of mothers correlated with higher SRS scores. The correlation was particularly strong for children with a higher degree of autistic-like behaviors.

On the other hand, increased concentrations of manganese, trans-Nonachlor, many organophosphate pesticide metabolites, and mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) in mothers were most strongly associated with lower SRS scores.

Researchers used Bayesian quantile regression, a statistical analysis tool, to find which individual toxicants were associated with high SRS scores.

Josh Alampi, senior author, says, “The relationships we discovered between these toxicants and SRS scores would not have been detected through the use of a means-based method of statistical analysis (such as linear regression). Although investigators do not frequently use quantile regression, it can be a powerful way to analyze complex population-based data."

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He adds that further studies are needed to fully understand these environmental chemicals' impact on brain development during gestation.

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Source-Medindia