Table 6
Summary of epidemiological studies investigating potential association between prenatal exposure to pyrethroids and neurodevelopment
Reference
and study
Location
Design
Study dates
Population sample
size
Exposure assessment
Pesticides/
metabolites
Outcomes of interest
Main pyrethroid
findings
Prenatal exposure
Eskenazi
et al., 2018
[53]
South Africa
Longitudinal birth
cohort study
(VHEMBE cohort)
2012–2013
681 at 1 year and
671 at 2 years,
mother-child pairs
(women recruited at
early stage of labor)
Maternal spot urine
sample collected
either before or
shortly after delivery
Pyrethroid metabolites (3-PBA, cisand
trans-DCCA,
DBCA)
Neurodevelopment at
1 and 2 years of age
(BSID-III, cognitive,
fine and gross motor,
receptive and expressive language subtests) (assessment by
psychologists)
No association with
child cognition
Significant association between levels
of pyrethroid metabolites (i.e., cisand
trans-DCCA
and
PBA) and decrement
in social-emotional
scores at 1 year of
age
Significant association between cisDBCA and lower
language composite
score (especially
expressive communication) at 2 years
of age
Coker et al.,
2017
[54]
USA
Longitudinal birth
cohort study
(CHAMACOS
cohort)
1999–2000
255 mother-child
pairs
Residential exposure
estimates based on
the poundage of pesticides applied within
1 km of maternal
address during
pregnancy
Neurotoxic pesticides
including four pyrethroids
(cypermethrin,
lambda cyhalothrin,
permethrin,
esfenvalerate)
Identification of eight
clusters of pesticide
Cognitive development at 7 years of age
(WISC-IV, 4 separate
domains: verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning,
working memory, and
processing speed,
which were combined
Two clusters with
the highest cumulative pesticide use
levels were associated with deficits in
FSIQ when compared with the cluster
with the lowest level
of pesticides use
284
A.-M. Saillenfait and S. Malard
Summary of epidemiological studies investigating potential association between prenatal exposure to pyrethroids and neurodevelopment
Reference
and study
Location
Design
Study dates
Population sample
size
Exposure assessment
Pesticides/
metabolites
Outcomes of interest
Main pyrethroid
findings
Prenatal exposure
Eskenazi
et al., 2018
[53]
South Africa
Longitudinal birth
cohort study
(VHEMBE cohort)
2012–2013
681 at 1 year and
671 at 2 years,
mother-child pairs
(women recruited at
early stage of labor)
Maternal spot urine
sample collected
either before or
shortly after delivery
Pyrethroid metabolites (3-PBA, cisand
trans-DCCA,
DBCA)
Neurodevelopment at
1 and 2 years of age
(BSID-III, cognitive,
fine and gross motor,
receptive and expressive language subtests) (assessment by
psychologists)
No association with
child cognition
Significant association between levels
of pyrethroid metabolites (i.e., cisand
trans-DCCA
and
PBA) and decrement
in social-emotional
scores at 1 year of
age
Significant association between cisDBCA and lower
language composite
score (especially
expressive communication) at 2 years
of age
Coker et al.,
2017
[54]
USA
Longitudinal birth
cohort study
(CHAMACOS
cohort)
1999–2000
255 mother-child
pairs
Residential exposure
estimates based on
the poundage of pesticides applied within
1 km of maternal
address during
pregnancy
Neurotoxic pesticides
including four pyrethroids
(cypermethrin,
lambda cyhalothrin,
permethrin,
esfenvalerate)
Identification of eight
clusters of pesticide
Cognitive development at 7 years of age
(WISC-IV, 4 separate
domains: verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning,
working memory, and
processing speed,
which were combined
Two clusters with
the highest cumulative pesticide use
levels were associated with deficits in
FSIQ when compared with the cluster
with the lowest level
of pesticides use
284
A.-M. Saillenfait and S. Malard