Grantee Research Project Results

2000 Progress Report: Exposure to Indoor Pesticides and PCBs and their Effects on Growth and Neurodevelopment in Urban Children

EPA Grant Number: R827039C002
Subproject: this is subproject number 002 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R827039
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico
Center Director: Alshawabkeh, Akram
Title: Exposure to Indoor Pesticides and PCBs and their Effects on Growth and Neurodevelopment in Urban Children
Investigators: Berkowitz, Gertrud S.
Current Investigators: Berkowitz, Gertrud S. , Wolff, Mary S. , Matte, Thomas
Institution: Mount Sinai School of Medicine
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Project Period: August 1, 1998 through July 31, 2003 (Extended to July 31, 2004)
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 1, 1999 through July 31, 2000
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health

Progress Summary:

The study is progressing very well. A total of 125 prenatal (pregnant) women have been recruited since August 1998. Of these, 75 are Hispanic and 50 are African American. Twenty of these women have been excluded from this study because of medical complications, terminations of pregnancies, very premature births, inability to collect specimens from the women before having their babies, delivery of an infant with birth defects, change of residence, or participant’s decision to withdraw from the study . Thus, there are currently 105 women who are actively participating in the study. There have been 100 samples of maternal blood collected and 103 samples of urine collected. In addition, 105 questionnaires and 102 IQ tests have been administered. There have been 85 births. To date, 75 Brazelton Assessments have been conducted on newborns. Brazelton Assessments have not been completed on all births for reasons including the child was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), patients were discharged over the weekend, or both the Research Coordinators were ill and unable to perform the assessments. Lead measurements for the cord blood are also being performed. To date, 43 samples of cord blood have been collected. The remaining 42 subjects for which cord blood was not collected will have their third trimester maternal blood tested for lead. The assays for the other environmental exposure have been completed.

Our first 1-year follow-up visit was undertaken in May. To date, we have performed 11 1-year assessments, which include administration of a follow-up questionnaire, the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory, and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Urine is also obtained from the infant at the follow-up visits. We have obtained urine from 7 babies thus far. Urine from the remaining 4 babies was not obtained because the urine bag leaked into the diaper or the baby did not urinate .

Significance

Results are not yet available.

Future Activities:

We plan to recruit approximately another 200 prenatal women and to continue administering the follow-up questionnaires and collecting specimens from the study participants.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 8 publications for this subproject

Supplemental Keywords:

Health, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Health Risk Assessment, Risk Assessments, genetic susceptability, Environmental Chemistry, Endocrine Disruptors - Human Health, Environmental Microbiology, Children's Health, endocrine disruptors, Biochemistry, Endocrine Disruptors - Environmental Exposure & Risk, health effects, Human Health Risk Assessment, environmental hazard exposures, sensitive populations, harmful environmental agents, reproductive development, neurodevelopmental toxicity, biological response, growth & development, human exposure, neurotoxicity, children, endocrine disrupting chemicals, environmental health hazard, environmentally caused disease, toxics, assessment of exposure, neurodevelopmental, PCBs, human susceptibility, developmental disorders

Relevant Websites:

http://www.childenvironment.org/ Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R827039 Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R827039C001 Growing Up Healthy in East Harlem
R827039C002 Exposure to Indoor Pesticides and PCBs and their Effects on Growth and Neurodevelopment in Urban Children
R827039C003 Genetics of Chlorpyrifos Risk in Minority Populations
R827039C004 Prenatal PCB Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Adolescence and Adulthood
R827039C005 Neuroendocrine Mechanisms of Environmental Toxicants: PCBs and Pesticides

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.