Biomaterial Database

Cognitive development of children prenatally exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (Yu-Cheng children) and their siblings. 1992

Y C Chen, and Y L Guo, and C C Hsu

Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.

An intoxication episode resulting from rice-bran oil (Yu-Cheng) contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) occurred in Taiwan from 1978 to 1979. After that episode, the authors found 15 Yu-Cheng children who were born to intoxicated mothers after their documented consumption of PCB-contaminated oil; these children had older siblings, born before PCB exposure, without prenatal PCB exposure. The cognitive development of these Yu-Cheng children and the youngest of their elder siblings were assessed annually from 1985 to 1990 using the Chinese version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Revised Version (WISC-R) for those over six years of age. Compared with their elder siblings, the Yu-Cheng children scored significantly lower (p < 0.05) on the verbal intelligence quotient, by 6.8-16.1 points; on performance IQ by 10.2-18.4 points; and on full-scale IQ by 8.9-18.5 points, during the six measurements performed from 1985 to 1990. The differences in WISC-R IQ scores between the two groups have remained unchanged during these six years of follow-up.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007360	Intelligence	The ability to learn and to deal with new situations and to deal effectively with tasks involving abstractions.
D008297	Male		Males
D010938	Plant Oils	Oils derived from plants or plant products.	Oils, Plant,Oils, Vegetable,Plant Oil,Vegetable Oil,Vegetable Oils,Oil, Plant,Oil, Vegetable
D011078	Polychlorinated Biphenyls	Industrial products consisting of a mixture of chlorinated biphenyl congeners and isomers. These compounds are highly lipophilic and tend to accumulate in fat stores of animals. Many of these compounds are considered toxic and potential environmental pollutants.	PCBs,Polychlorinated Biphenyl,Polychlorobiphenyl Compounds,Biphenyl, Polychlorinated,Biphenyls, Polychlorinated,Compounds, Polychlorobiphenyl
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011297	Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects	The consequences of exposing the FETUS in utero to certain factors, such as NUTRITION PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA; PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS; DRUGS; RADIATION; and other physical or chemical factors. These consequences are observed later in the offspring after BIRTH.	Delayed Effects, Prenatal Exposure,Late Effects, Prenatal Exposure
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260	Female		Females
D005506	Food Contamination	The presence in food of harmful, unpalatable, or otherwise objectionable foreign substances, e.g. chemicals, microorganisms or diluents, before, during, or after processing or storage.	Food Adulteration,Adulteration, Food,Adulterations, Food,Contamination, Food,Contaminations, Food,Food Adulterations,Food Contaminations