Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Serum Concentrations and Depressive Symptomatology in Pregnant African American Women

Abby D. Mutic, Dana Boyd Barr, Vicki S. Hertzberg, Patricia A. Brennan, Anne L. Dunlop and Linda A. McCauley
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Abby D. Mutic: Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Dana Boyd Barr: Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Vicki S. Hertzberg: Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Patricia A. Brennan: Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Anne L. Dunlop: Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Linda A. McCauley: Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: (1) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were widely produced in the United States until 2004 but remain highly persistent in the environment. The potential for PBDEs to disrupt normal neuroendocrine pathways resulting in depression and other neurological symptoms is largely understudied. This study examined whether PBDE exposure in pregnant women was associated with antenatal depressive symptomatology. (2) Data were collected from 193 African American pregnant women at 8–14 weeks gestation. Serum PBDEs and depressive symptoms were analyzed and a mixture effect was calculated. (3) Urban pregnant African American women in the Southeastern United States had a high risk of depression (27%) compared to the National average. Increased levels of PBDEs were found. BDE-47 and -99 exposures are significantly associated with depressive symptomatology in the pregnant cohort. The weighted body burden estimate of the PBDE mixture was associated with a higher risk of mild to moderate depression using an Edinburgh Depression Scale cutoff score of ?10 (OR = 2.93; CI 1.18, 7.82). (4) Since antenatal depression may worsen in postpartum, reducing PBDE exposure may have significant clinical implications.

Keywords: polybrominated diphenyl ether; antenatal depression; endocrine disrupting chemical; neuroendocrine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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