Supplemental data for the article "Impact of Antenatal Exposure to a Mixture of Endocrine Disruptors on Attentional and Executive Functions in Children"

Supplemental data for the Article: "Impact of Antenatal Exposure to a Mixture of Endocrine Disruptors on Attentional and Executive Functions in Children" Objective: Numerous studies indicate negative associations between early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals and various aspects of neurodevelopment. However, few have focused on specific cognitive processes. Additionally, toxicants are often analysed individually, without accounting for their combined effects. This study aimed at investigating the impact of prenatal exposure to a mixture of endocrine disruptors on attention and executive functions in young children and comparing their effects to those reported in the literature. Methods: Two polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and four perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were measured in the cord blood from fifty-five children enrolled in a longitudinal Belgian cohort study. At six years of age, attentional and executive functions were assessed using specific neuropsychological tests. Associations between a mixture of toxicants and cognitive performance were analyzed using the principal components approach and weighted quantile sum regression, while accounting for sex differences. Results: Higher prenatal exposure to PCB mixtures was significantly associated with an increased number of omissions in the Divided Attention test. In sex-stratified analyses, this association remained significant but was observed only in boys. Additionally, boys exhibited reduced working memory and planning abilities following exposure to a mixture of PCBs and PFASs. In contrast, antenatal exposure to a mixture of PCBs and PFASs in girls was associated with reduced behavioral regulation, including inhibition control, as assessed by parent-reported questionnaires screening executive functioning in daily life. Conclusion: These results support associations between antenatal exposure to a mixture of endocrine disruptors and attention and executive development, emphasizing a sex-specific effect.