Prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years: a birth cohort study in China
Background: Thallium, a highly toxic heavy metal, is well-documented for causing neurodevelopmental toxicity in animal models. However, epidemiological evidence regarding the effects of early-life thallium exposure on human neurodevelopment remains limited. Objective: To investigate the trimester-sp...
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005688 |
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| author | Mingyang Wu Yanling Shu Lulu Song Youjie Wang |
| author_facet | Mingyang Wu Yanling Shu Lulu Song Youjie Wang |
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| description | Background: Thallium, a highly toxic heavy metal, is well-documented for causing neurodevelopmental toxicity in animal models. However, epidemiological evidence regarding the effects of early-life thallium exposure on human neurodevelopment remains limited. Objective: To investigate the trimester-specific associations of maternal thallium exposure with early childhood neurodevelopment. Methods: A total of 423 mother-child pairs, with trimester-specific urinary samples, were followed up until the children reached 2 years of age. Thallium concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, while mental and psychomotor development indexes (MDI and PDI) were evaluated using the Chinese version of Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-CR). Trimester-specific associations of specific gravity (SG)-adjusted urinary thallium concentrations with neurodevelopment were estimated using a multiple informant model. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, each unit increase in thallium exposure during the third trimester was associated with 6.55-point reduction in MDI domain (95 % CI: −12.88 to −0.22) and 7.13-point reduction in PDI domain (95 % CI: −13.51 to −0.74). When performing stratified analyses by child sex, the associations of third-trimester thallium concentrations with PDI were more prominent in boys (β: −9.57; 95 %CI: −17.51 to −1.64) than in girls (β: −0.87; 95 %CI: −14.51–12.76). Conclusions: This birth cohort study suggests that prenatal thallium exposure during the third trimester, but not during other periods, had detrimental effects on early childhood mental and psychomotor development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-90d2c69391ea48338feb3c463187fa94 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-90d2c69391ea48338feb3c463187fa942025-08-20T03:53:12ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-06-0129711823210.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118232Prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years: a birth cohort study in ChinaMingyang Wu0Yanling Shu1Lulu Song2Youjie Wang3Department of Maternal and Child Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, No.172 Tongzipo Road, Changsha 410013, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China; Corresponding author at: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, #13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.Background: Thallium, a highly toxic heavy metal, is well-documented for causing neurodevelopmental toxicity in animal models. However, epidemiological evidence regarding the effects of early-life thallium exposure on human neurodevelopment remains limited. Objective: To investigate the trimester-specific associations of maternal thallium exposure with early childhood neurodevelopment. Methods: A total of 423 mother-child pairs, with trimester-specific urinary samples, were followed up until the children reached 2 years of age. Thallium concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, while mental and psychomotor development indexes (MDI and PDI) were evaluated using the Chinese version of Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-CR). Trimester-specific associations of specific gravity (SG)-adjusted urinary thallium concentrations with neurodevelopment were estimated using a multiple informant model. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, each unit increase in thallium exposure during the third trimester was associated with 6.55-point reduction in MDI domain (95 % CI: −12.88 to −0.22) and 7.13-point reduction in PDI domain (95 % CI: −13.51 to −0.74). When performing stratified analyses by child sex, the associations of third-trimester thallium concentrations with PDI were more prominent in boys (β: −9.57; 95 %CI: −17.51 to −1.64) than in girls (β: −0.87; 95 %CI: −14.51–12.76). Conclusions: This birth cohort study suggests that prenatal thallium exposure during the third trimester, but not during other periods, had detrimental effects on early childhood mental and psychomotor development.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005688ThalliumNeurodevelopmentBirth cohort |
| spellingShingle | Mingyang Wu Yanling Shu Lulu Song Youjie Wang Prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years: a birth cohort study in China Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Thallium Neurodevelopment Birth cohort |
| title | Prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years: a birth cohort study in China |
| title_full | Prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years: a birth cohort study in China |
| title_fullStr | Prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years: a birth cohort study in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years: a birth cohort study in China |
| title_short | Prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years: a birth cohort study in China |
| title_sort | prenatal thallium exposure and child neurodevelopment at 2 years a birth cohort study in china |
| topic | Thallium Neurodevelopment Birth cohort |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005688 |
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