Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-5-2020
Publication Title
Environment International
Volume
139
First page number:
1
Last page number:
9
Abstract
Background: Experimental studies in rodents suggest that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may contribute to depressive symptoms. Few studies have examined the impact of these chemicals on depression in adults. Objective: To examine the associations between serum PBDE and PFAS concentrations during pregnancy and repeated measures of depressive symptoms in women assessed from pregnancy to 8 years postpartum. Methods: This study was based on 377 women from the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment Study, a birth cohort in Cincinnati, OH (USA). PBDEs (BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, -153, and ∑PBDEs) and PFAS (perfluorooctanoate [PFOA], perfluorooctane sulfonate [PFOS], perfluorohexane sulfonate [PFHxS], perfluorononanoate [PFNA]) were quantified in maternal serum at 16 ± 3 weeks gestation. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at ~20 weeks gestation and up to seven times during postpartum visits (4 weeks, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 years). We used linear mixed models to estimate covariate-adjusted associations between chemical concentrations and repeated measures of BDI-II. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the relative risk ratios of having a medium or high depression trajectory. Results: We found that a 10-fold increase in BDE-28 at 16 ± 3 weeks gestation was associated with significantly increased BDI-II scores (β = 2.5 points, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8, 4.2) from pregnancy to 8 years postpartum. Significant positive associations were also observed with BDE-47, -100, -153, and ∑PBDEs. A 10-fold increase in ∑PBDEs was associated with a 4.6-fold increased risk (95% CI 1.8, 11.8) of a high trajectory for BDI-II compared to a low trajectory. We observed no significant associations between PFAS and BDI-II scores.
Keywords
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs); Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); Depression; Maternal; Pregnancy; Women
Disciplines
Maternal and Child Health | Psychiatric and Mental Health
File Format
File Size
474 KB
Language
English
Repository Citation
Vuong, A. M.,
Yolton, K.,
Braun, J. M.,
Sjodin, A.,
Calafat, A. M.,
Xu, Y.,
Dietrich, K. N.,
Lanphear, B. P.,
Chen, A.
(2020).
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE) and Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Exposures During Pregnancy and Maternal Depression.
Environment International, 139
1-9.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105694