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[Display omitted] • Pregnant women were widely exposed to NEOs and 6-CN was the most abundant metabolite. • IMI and ACE were adversely associated with neonatal head circumference. • Maternal 8-OHdG mediated the association between NEOs and neonatal head circumference. An increasing number of studies have reported neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs), the emerging alternatives to conventional insecticides, may increase oxidative stress and cause adverse health effects, but limited is known about the prenatal NEOs exposures and their impact on birth outcomes. We investigated the levels of prenatal exposure to NEOs/metabolites, to assess their associations with birth outcomes, and investigate whether these associations could be mediated by oxidative stress using 8-OHdG as the biomarker. We studied 296 mother-infant pairs recruited from Laizhou Wan Birth Cohort in 2010 – 2013. Two NEOs (IMI and ACE), three metabolites (6-CN, ND-ACE, and 2CTCA), and 8-OHdG were measured in maternal urine collected before delivery. Birth outcomes including birth weight, birth length, ponderal index (PI), head circumference, and gestational age, were acquired. We examined the associations between NEOs/metabolites and birth outcomes using multivariable linear regression. Mediation analysis was conducted to clarify the role of 8-OHdG on the association of NEOs/metabolites exposure and birth outcomes. Highest detection rate was observed for ACE (100.0%), followed by IMI (98.3%) and 6-CN (98.0%), suggesting the common exposure of pregnant women. The highest median concentration was observed for 6-CN with creatinine-adjusted median levels of 9.58 μg/g creatinine. A decrease in newborns' head circumference was observed with a 10-fold increase in IMI (β = -1.83; 95% CI = -3.04, −0.62) and ACE (β = -2.27; 95% CI = -3.56, −0.98). An increase in newborns' PI was observed with a 10-fold increase in IMI (β = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.03, 0.75). Maternal 8-OHdG demonstrated 38.5–65.5% mediating effects in the negative association of IMI, ACE, 2-CTCA with head circumference. These associations might differ between boys and girls. Pregnant women were widely exposed to NEOs/metabolites in China. Results suggested the potential impacts of prenatal exposure to certain neonicotinoid insecticides on head circumference. Urinary 8-OHdG may partly mediate these associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Prenatal PM 2.5 composition exposure was estimated in China with severe pollution. • Infant cognitive and motor functions in five domains were tested at 12 months by ASQ. • The effects of composition-specific PM 2.5 were further evaluated. • PM 2.5 compositions were negatively associated with ASQ scores in all five domains. • All PM 2.5 compositions except OM were associated with lower problem-solving scores. Prenatal fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) exposure has been linked to infant cognitive and motor functions, but the effects of PM 2.5 chemical composition remain unclear. We aimed to explore the associations of prenatal PM 2.5 and its composition exposure with infant cognitive and motor functions. We studied 2,435 mother-infant pairs in the Shanghai Birth Cohort Study. PM 2.5 and its seven compositions [primary particles (black carbon, mineral dust and sea salts) and secondary particles (NH 4 +, NO 3 –, SO 4 2- and organic matter)] during the three trimesters of pregnancy were retrieved from the V4.CH.03 product developed by using a combined geoscience-statistical method. At the 12-month-old follow-up, infant cognitive and motor functions in five domains were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). We used multivariable linear regressions to estimate the effects of PM 2.5 and its composition on the ASQ scores, for all infants and stratifying by sex and breastfeeding duration. PM 2.5 exposure was negatively associated with gross motor, problem-solving and personal-social scores for all infants. PM 2.5 compositions were inversely associated with ASQ scores in all five domains, and the effects of different compositions varied across domains. Specifically, all compositions except organic matter were correlated with lower problem-solving scores [e.g., (β S O 4 2 - = − 10.79, 95 % CI: −17.40, −4.18) ∼ (β N O 3 - = − 4.68, 95 % CI: −7.84, −1.53); for each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM 2.5 compositions during the third trimester]. Primary and some secondary particles (organic matter, NO 3 –) were related to lower gross motor scores. Secondary particles were also inversely associated with communication (organic matter and NO 3 –), fine motor (NH 4 +, NO 3 –, SO 4 2-) and personal-social (NH 4 +) scores. Additionally, boys and infants breastfed for < 6 months appeared to be more susceptible. We found negative associations of PM 2.5 and its compositions with infant cognitive and motor functions over a range of domains, especially the problem-solving domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are believed to impair early neurodevelopment and disrupt thyroid hormone (TH) levels. However, there are limited epidemiological data on the neurodevelopmental effects in infancy of prenatal PFAS exposure and the potential mediating effects of TH. To evaluate potential associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and early neurodevelopmental deficiencies, and assess mediator effects of TH. From 2010 to 2013, 274 mother-infant pairs were recruited to the Laizhou Wan Birth Cohort in China. Ten PFAS and five TH were measured in cord serum. Developmental quotient (DQ) from 5 domains (adaptive, social, language, gross and fine motor) was assessed using Gesell Developmental Schedules for each child at 1 year of age. The associations between PFAS and DQs were evaluated using multivariable linear regressions. TH-mediated effects of PFAS on DQs were calculated by mediation analyses. Among our study population, PFAS exposures were common and associated with DQ decrement in infants. For each 10-fold increase in PFBS concentrations, gross motor and adaptive DQ decreased by 8.56 (95%CI: −15.15, −1.97) and 5.87 (95%CI: −8.07, −3.67) points, respectively. TSH mediated 12.90% of the association of PFBS with gross motor DQ and FT4 explained 19.63% of the association of PFBS with adaptive DQ. The negative association was also found between PFHxS exposure and gross motor DQ (β = 8.14, 95%CI: −15.39, −0.98). PFBS and PFHxS were negatively associated with early neurodevelopment, especially consistent in gross motor domain. The associations were partly explained by TSH and FT4. • The relationship between PFAS exposure, thyroid hormones and infant neurodevelopment were assessed in a Chinese birth cohort. • Prenatal PFHxS and PFBS exposure were associated with lower gross motor DQ, especially in males. • TSH and FT4 partly mediated the association of PFBS with DQ in several neurodevelopmental domains at 1 year of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]