Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Piperonyl Butoxide and Permethrin on 36-Month Neurodevelopment

Abstract

WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT:Pyrethroid insecticides and the pyrethroid synergist piperonyl butoxide are potential neurodevelopmental toxicants and have not been evaluated for developmental toxicity. In this study the effects of prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide and permethrin on neurodevelopment in children aged 36 months were examined. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:A significant inverse association was observed between prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide, a pyrethroid synergist, and 36-month neurodevelopment. No significant association was observed between prenatal exposure to permethrin and adverse neurodevelopment. abstract OBJECTIVE: Recent pesticide-monitoring results suggest that a shift in residential pesticide exposure from organophosphorus insecticides to pyrethroid insecticides has occurred. Pyrethroid insecticides are potential neurodevelopmental toxicants and have not been evaluated for developmental toxicity. Our objective was to explore the association between prenatal exposure to permethrin (a common pyrethroid) and piperonyl butoxide (a pyrethroid synergist) and 36-month neurodevelopment. METHODS:Participants is this study were part of a prospective cohort of black and Dominican mothers and newborns living in low-income neighborhoods in New York City. We examined 36-month cognitive and motor development (using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, second edition) as a function of permethrin levels measured in maternal and umbilical cord plasma collected on delivery and permethrin and piperonyl butoxide levels measured in personal air collected during pregnancy. All models were controlled for gender, gestational age, ethnicity, maternal education, maternal intelligence, quality of the home environment, and prenatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and chlorpyrifos.

Emerging Role of Zika Virus in Adverse Fetal and Neonatal Outcomes

“…Interpretation of the latter study should be done with caution, as the methodology used cannot establish a causal relationship. Reassuring data are also available for permethrin (18,315). Thus, even if the available safety data for pregnancy are still limited, it is widely assumed that the benefits of DEET and permethrin protection against mosquito-driven infectious diseases outweigh the remaining unknown potential risks for the unborn child.…”

“…Since 2007, locally transmitted cases of ZIKV from 62 countries or territories, mostly located in the Americas, have been reported to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) (17,18). "Further spread to other countries, the lack of vaccines and rapid, reliable diagnostic tests, as well as the absence of population immunity in newly affected countries" have been cited by PAHO as further cause for concern.…”

Implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) program in child care centers: A qualitative study

“…Pesticide use in child care facilities is concerning because pesticide exposure poses a potential health threat to children, as well as to staff (Baldi, Mohammed-Brahim, Brochard, Dartigues, & Salamon, 1998;Bradman et al, 2011;Horton et al, 2011;Jurewicz et al, 2006;Kass et al, 2009;Makri, Goveia, Balbus, & Parkin, 2004;Morgan et al, 2004Morgan et al, , 2007. This is also of concern for the 1.3 million child care center staff in the U.S., 94.5% of whom are women often of child-bearing age, which increases risk for in utero and pregnancy-related pesticide exposure (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004).…”

Piperonyl Butoxide: An Enhancing Arsenal for an Adomant Foe

“…However, incorporation of PBO synegist in LLINs, has been reported to restore the efficacy of pyrethroids in the areas with high pyrethroid resistant population [21,22]. The LLINs with PBO have proved to be safe and no any side effect for human beings [25][26][27].…”