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U.S. Department of Energy
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Effect of intrauterine PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) exposure on visual recognition memory

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7194236
Adverse neonatal outcomes have been associated with intrauterine exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In a follow-up study of exposed and nonexposed infants, 123 infants tested at birth were administered Fagan's test of visual recognition memory at 7 months. Two measures of prenatal PCB exposure, cord serum PCB level and maternal report of contaminated fish consumption, predicted less preference for a novel stimulus. Preference for novelty decreased in a dose-dependent fashion with increasing levels of prenatal PCB exposure. Postnatal exposure from nursing was not related to visual recognition memory. The relation between prenatal exposure and visual recognition was not mediated by the neonatal deficits, suggesting that intrauterine PCB exposure may have a delayed effect on central nervous system functioning.
Research Organization:
Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI (USA)
OSTI ID:
7194236
Report Number(s):
PB-90-146259/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English