A 6-year follow-up of behavior and activity disorders in the Taiwan Yu-cheng children

The relationship of behavior and activity levels to the interval between outbreak and year of birth and to age of children is explored in Taiwanese children exposed in utero to heat-degraded polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)--the Yu-cheng children. Additionally, the relationship of the scores to chem...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of public health (1971) 1994-03, Vol.84 (3), p.415-421
Main Authors: Chen, Y C, Yu, M L, Rogan, W J, Gladen, B C, Hsu, C C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Behaviour disordered children
Biological and medical sciences
Case-Control Studies
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Child Behavior Disorders - etiology
Children & youth
Factors
Female
Fetal exposure
Follow-Up Studies
Followup studies
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Medical research
Medical sciences
Motor Activity - drug effects
PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyls
Polychlorinated Biphenyls - adverse effects
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
Public health
Taiwan
Toxicology
Tropical medicine
Various organic compounds
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Summary:The relationship of behavior and activity levels to the interval between outbreak and year of birth and to age of children is explored in Taiwanese children exposed in utero to heat-degraded polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)--the Yu-cheng children. Additionally, the relationship of the scores to chemical, physical, and cognitive findings is described. With Rutter's Child Behavior Scale A and a modified Werry-Weiss-Peters Activity Scale, 118 Yu-chen children and matched controls were followed biannually from 1985 to 1991. At each year, the Yu-cheng children scored 7% to 43% worse (mean = 23%) than control children on the Rutter scale. At any fixed age, the Yu-cheng children scored 11% to 63% (mean = 28%) worse. The effect for children born later did not differ from that for those born earlier; neither was there any improvement as the children aged. A similar but weaker picture was seen for the activity score. These behavioral findings were not related to physical or cognitive findings or to serum PCB levels. In utero exposure to heat-degraded PCBs appears to cause mildly disordered behavior and increased activity level; the effect persists over time and is similar in children born up to 6 years after the mothers were exposed.
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.84.3.415