Project 454443

Children's healthy development is very sensitive to exposure to environmental chemicals during pregnancy. Prenatal exposure to plastic chemicals, including bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, is unavoidable due to their widespread use in food and beverage packing, clothing and building materials, and personal care products. These plastic chemicals can cross the placenta and affect the activity of genes critical for the regulation of hormones and brain development. This in turn could influence the development of children's cognitive abilities and behaviour. Prenatal exposure to plastic chemicals has been associated with adverse effects on children's neurodevelopment and mental health, including a higher risk for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The effect of early exposure to plastic chemicals on the activity of genes is poorly understood and could be different for boys and girls. To better understand this issue, already collected data on prenatal exposure to plastic chemicals, gene activity from infant DNA samples, and children's cognitive, behavioural, and motor outcomes at 2, 3-4, and 5-7 years of age will be used. I will investigate the associations between prenatal exposure to plastic chemicals, the activity of genes, and children's cognitive, behavioural, and motor development. The results of this research could provide evidence that the activity of genes is a possible causal link between prenatal exposure to plastic chemicals and adverse neurodevelopmental and mental health outcomes in children. This information could be used to help guide the Government of Canada's chemical management plans for plastic chemicals, pinpoint targets of intervention to alter neurodevelopmental trajectories, and improve health outcomes for Canadian children.