Prenatal Urinary Triclosan Concentrations and Neurodevelopment

Background/Aim: Triclosan, an antimicrobial chemical used in some consumer products, is ubiquitous among pregnant women. Gestational exposure may reduce the levels of thyroid hormones important for neurodevelopment. We examined the association between triclosan exposure during fetal development and children’s neurobehavior at three years of age. Methods: We measured triclosan in urine samples collected at ~12 weeks of gestation in 794 Canadian women enrolled in a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort study (MIREC) from 2008-2011. Around 3 years of age, children’s cognitive abilities were assessed using the Wechsler Primary and Preschool Scale of Intelligence-III (WPPSI-III) and two scales of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P). Parents reported children’s behavior using the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 (BASC-2) and Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2). We used multivariable linear regression to estimate the covariate-adjusted associations between a 10-fol...