Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are environmental contaminants that persist in the environment and bioaccumulate through the food chain in humans and animals. Although previous studies have shown an association between prenatal OCP exposure and subsequent neurodevelopment, the levels of OCPs included in these studies were inconsistent. A hospital-based prospective birth cohort study was conducted to examine the associations between prenatal exposure to relatively low levels of OCPs and neurodevelopment in infants at 6 (n = 164) and 18 (n = 115) months of age. Blood samples were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques to quantify 29 OCPs. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development 2nd edition (BSID-II) was used to assess the Mental and Psychomotor Developmental Index. After controlling for confounders, we found an inverse association between prenatal exposure to cis-heptachlor epoxide and the Mental Developmental Index at 18 months of age. Furthermore, infants born to mothers with prenatal concentrations of cis-heptachlor epoxide in the highest quartile had Mental Developmental Index scores −9.8 (95% confidence interval: −16.4, −3.1) lower than that recorded for infants born to mothers with concentrations of cis-heptachlor epoxide in the first quartile (p for trend <0.01). These results support the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to OCPs, especially cis-heptachlor epoxide, may have an adverse effect on the neurodevelopment of infants at specific ages, even at low levels.

有机氯农药（OCPs）是环境污染物，在环境中持续存在，并通过人类和动物的食物链进行生物蓄积。尽管先前的研究表明产前OCP暴露与随后的神经发育之间存在关联，但这些研究中所含的OCP含量并不一致。进行了一项基于医院的前瞻性出生队列研究，以检查6（n = 164）和18（n = 115）个月婴儿的产前暴露于相对较低水平的OCP与神经发育之间的关系。使用气相色谱/质谱技术分析血样以定量29种OCP。贝利婴儿发育量表第二版（BSID-II）用于评估心理和精神运动发育指数。在控制了混杂因素之后，顺式七氯环氧化物和18个月大时的心理发育指数。此外，母亲所生与产前浓度婴儿顺最高四分位数环氧七氯有智力发育指数评分-9.8（95％可信区间为-16.4，-3.1）比记录的母亲所生与浓度降低婴儿顺-第一个四分位数中的七氯环氧化物（趋势<0.01的p）。这些结果支持这样的假设，即产前暴露于OCP，尤其是顺式七氯环氧化物，可能会对特定年龄甚至低水平婴儿的神经发育产生不利影响。