Effects of Prenatal Exposure PCBs

Research has found a link between developmental disorders and cognitive deficits in children of mothers who had eaten moderate to high amounts of PCB-contaminated fish during the six years preceding the pregnancy and who continued to do so during the pregnancy. At birth, these effects include low birth weight, small head circumference, and a higher risk of early birth.

At 5 to 7 months, these infants exhibit depressive responsiveness, impaired visual recognition and poor short-term memory. By four years of age, such children exhibit reduced performance on the visual recognition-memory test (i.e., one of the best validated tests for the assessment of human cognitive function). At age 11, children exposed prenatally to PCBs are three times more likely to have low verbal IQ scores; twice as likely to lag behind at least two years in reading comprehension; and have difficulty paying attention.

According to one 1996 study, a group of children in Michigan whose mothers had been exposed to PCBs were found to have decreased birth weight and head size, lowered performance on standardized memory, psychomotor and behavioral tests, and lowered IQ. A study published three years later found that a group of women occupationally exposed to PCBs in upstate New York had shorter pregnancies and gave birth to children with lower birth weight.

In 2000, a study of the children of women who ate contaminated Lake Ontario fish found significant performance impairments on a standardized behavioral assessment test. And most recently, a 2009 Harvard study of children born near a PCB-contaminated harbor in Massachusetts found that prenatal exposure to banned persistent organic pollutants, including PCBs, may be linked to ADHD.

PCBs

PCBs are a group of manufactured organic chemicals that contain 209 individual chlorinated chemicals. These chemicals have been used widely as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors, and other electrical equipment. Products that even today pose a PCB exposure risk include old fluorescent lighting fixtures and electrical appliances containing PCB capacitors.

There are a number of ways you or your unborn child could have been exposed to PCBs. These include:

Food: PCBs can be highly concentrated in fish. Predator fish at the top of the food chain, as well as bottom feeding fish, tend to contain the highest PCB levels in those waters.
Indoor Air: Older fluorescent lights found in schools, offices, and homes may still contain transformers or ballasts that contain PCBs. If the ballasts fail, PCBs can leak out and contaminate exposed surfaces and the air.
Surface Soils: A health hazard exists if a person swallows small amounts of the soil, or if the soil runs off to lakes and rivers, and the PCBs eventually accumulate in fish and other wildlife.
The Workplace: Industrial accidents have been responsible for most cases of acute PCB poisoning in humans.

Prenatal Exposure to PCBs

Could your child have been injured by prenatal exposure to PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)? Our PCB lawyers are investigating the link between prenatal exposure to these chemicals and developmental and cognitive problems in children, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). If you think your child was harmed by prenatal exposure to PCBs, you may have valuable legal rights.

PCBs were produced in the United States from 1929 until being banned in 1979. Although currently no longer produced commercially, PCBs may still be present in products and materials produced before the ban. If it is proven that your child was injured due to prenatal exposure to PCBs, your family may be entitled to compensation.

Our PCB lawyers offer a free legal consultation to families of children who may have been injured by these chemicals. To find out how we can help you, and to protect your legal rights, we urge you to contact one of our PCB lawyers today.

Legal Help for Victims of Prenatal PCB Exposure

Our PCB lawyers are aggressively investigating the association between prenatal PCB exposure and developmental and cognitive problems in children. If your child was injured by PCBs, your family may be eligible for compensation from the manufacturers who used these toxins in their products. To find out how our PCB lawyers can help you and your family, please fill out our online form or call 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) today.

We offer a free consultation to victims of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and their families. If your life has been devastated by this illness, please fill out our online form or call 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) to discuss your case today.