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A developmental perspective on early-life exposure to neurotoxicants.
- Source :
-
Environment International . Sep2016, Vol. 94, p103-112. 10p. - Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Background Studies of early-life neurotoxicant exposure have not been designed, analyzed, or interpreted in the context of a fully developmental perspective. Objectives The goal of this paper is to describe the key principles of a developmental perspective and to use examples from the literature to illustrate the relevance of these principles to early-life neurotoxicant exposures. Methods Four principles are discussed: 1) the effects of early-life neurotoxicant exposure depend on a child's developmental context; 2) deficits caused by early-life exposure initiate developmental cascades that can lead to pathologies that differ from those observed initially; 3) early-life neurotoxicant exposure has intra-familial and intergenerational impacts; 4) the impacts of early-life neurotoxicant exposure influence a child's ability to respond to future insults. The first principle is supported by considerable evidence, but the other three have received much less attention. Discussion Incorporating a developmental perspective in studies of early-life neurotoxicant exposures requires prospective collection of data on a larger array of covariates than usually considered, using analytical approaches that acknowledge the transactional processes between a child and the environment and the phenomenon of developmental cascades. Conclusion Consideration of early-life neurotoxicant exposure within a developmental perspective reveals that many issues remain to be explicated if we are to achieve a deep understanding of the societal health burden associated with early-life neurotoxicant exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01604120
- Volume :
- 94
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Environment International
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 117269589
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.05.014