Reference
Gaylord, A., Osborne, G., Ghassabian, A., Malits, J., Attina, T., & Trasande, L. (2020). Trends in neurodevelopmental disability burden due to early life chemical exposure in the USA from 2001 to 2016: A population-based disease burden and cost analysis. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 502, 110666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2019.110666
Review
The study by Gaylord et al. (2020) aimed to quantify the burden of neurodevelopmental disability and the economic costs associated with early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the United States from 2001 to 2016. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, the authors estimated the intellectual disability (ID) burden attributable to in-utero exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphates, methylmercury, and early-life exposure to lead. They also calculated the economic costs of the IQ point lost and cases of intellectual disability. The results showed that PBDE exposure was the most significant contributor to the ID burden, resulting in a total of 162 million IQ points lost and over 738,000 cases of intellectual disability. Lead, organophosphates, and methylmercury were the other contributors. Although most of the trends showed improvement in children's neurodevelopmental health, they also indicated the use of potentially harmful chemical substitutions for those being phased out.
The findings of this study have significant implications for public health policies and regulations regarding the use and exposure of EDCs. The authors suggest that current regulations on EDCs should be strengthened to reduce the burden of neurodevelopmental disabilities and the associated economic costs. The study also highlights the need for continued monitoring of trends in early-life chemical exposure to ensure that the use of potentially harmful chemicals is adequately controlled. Limitations of the study include the use of cross-sectional data and the lack of information on exposure to other chemicals known to cause neurotoxicity. However, the study provides valuable insights into the burden of neurodevelopmental disabilities and the costs associated with exposure to EDCs in the US.
