Critical windows of exposure for arsenic-associated impairment of cognitive function in pre-school girls and boys: a population-based cohort study

Background Exposure to arsenic through drinking water has been associated with impaired cognitive function in school-aged children in a few cross-sectional studies; however, there is little information on critical windows of exposure. Methods We conducted a population-based longitudinal study in rural Bangladesh. We assessed the association of arsenic exposure, based on urinary arsenic (U-As; twice during pregnancy and twice in childhood), with the development of about 1700 children at 5 years of age using Wechsler Pre-school and Primary Scale of Intelligence [intelligence quotient (IQ)]. Results Median maternal U-As in pregnancy was 80 mu g/l (10-90 percentiles: 25-400 mu g/l). Children's urine contained 35 (12-155) mu g/l and 51 (20-238) mu g/l at 1.5 and 5 years, respectively. Using multivariable-adjusted regression analyses, controlling for all potential confounders and loss to follow-up, we found that verbal IQ (VIQ) and full scale IQ (FSIQ) were negatively associated with (log) U-As in girls. The associations were consistent, but somewhat stronger with concurrent arsenic exposure [VIQ: B = -2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -3.8 to -1.1; FSIQ: B = -1.4, 95% CI = -2.7 to -0.1, n = 817), compared with that at 1.5 years (VIQ: B = -0.85, 95% CI = -2.1 to 0.4; FSIQ: B = -0.74, 95% CI = -1.9 to 0.4, n = 902), late gestation (VIQ: B = -1.52, 95% CI = -2.6 to -0.4; FSIQ: B = -1.35, 95% CI = -2.4 to -0.3, n = 874) and early gestation (VIQ: B = -1.23, 95% CI = -2.4 to -0.06; FSIQ: B = -0.92, 95% CI = -2.0 to -0.2, n = 833). In boys, U-As showed consistently low and non-significant associations with all IQ measures. An effect size calculation indicated that 100 mu g/l U-As was associated with a decrement of 1-3 points in both VIQ and FSIQ in girls. Conclusion We found adverse effects of arsenic exposure on IQ in girls, but not boys, at 5 years of age.