Is DDT Exposure during Fetal Period and Breast-Feeding Associated with Neurological Impairment?

The concentration of certain persistent organic pollutants was determined in a family including both parents and one son with neurological impairment suggested to be Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For comparison control subjects from other ongoing studies were used. They were of the same sex and age group as the respective family member. For polychlorinated biphenyls, hexachlorobenzene, and chlordanes similar results were found in the study groups. The concentration of DDE, the main metabolite of DDT, was increased in the mother, 782 ng/g lipid, compared with mean 403, median 259 (range 51–1354) for the female controls. Also, the son had an increased concentration of 259 ng/g lipid, compared with mean 104, median 72 (range 46–349) for controls. A low concentration was found in the father, 127 ng/g lipid. As a child and as a teenager to the age of 17, the mother was exposed to DDT in her home environment. We discuss the potential of fetal and breast-feeding exposure of the son. Neurodevelopmental impairment has been reported for dioxins and PCBs, but DDT seems to have been less investigated in this respect.