1.探討出生前後二手菸暴露對嬰幼兒神經行為發展之影響2.探討中藥從業人員血中重金屬濃度和腎臟功能之關係

Abstract

1. Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Children’s Neurobehavioral Development at 6 to 18 Months of Age Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between prenatal and postnatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and neurobehavioral development of the early childhood at 6 to 18 months of age. Methods: It is the pilot study of the population-based Taiwan Birth Cohort Study. A total of 1,496 infant-parent pairs had completed data to be recruited in our study. ETS exposure was measured twice with the questionnaire at 6 and 18 months of age. The classification of a combined effect of ETS exposed periods (prenatal period to 6 months and 7 months to 18 months) and ETS exposed status (yes or no) was stratified into four groups. Then, we also evaluated twice their neurobehavioral development status by the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study scale, including gross-motor, fine-motor, language/communication (language), and social/self-care ability (social). The covariate variables were maternal nationality, maternal education, marital status, infant sex, and gestational age for adjustment. Results: In the multiple linear regression analysis, we found the fine-motor of the scale were significant effects among the four groups at 18 months of age by ETS exposure. Furthermore, significant trend of ETS exposed periods with neurobehavioral developmental delay at 18 months of age was revealed in the study. Conclusions: In the present study, we found that ETS exposure was associated with the early childhood neurobehavioral development. Before 18 months of age, if children ever exposed ETS, their neurobehavioral development might be affected. Therefore, the neurodevelopment of the early childhood may be vulnerable under ETS exposure, particularly in fine-motor performance, and could detect at the early age of 18 months. 2. Association between heavy metal levels in blood and renal function among Chinese herbalists Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between heavy metal levels in blood and renal function among Chinese herbalists. Methods: A total of 6,581 general populations and 168 Chinese herbalists had completed data to involve our study. All subjects were stratified into three groups as well: general populations, heavy metal concentration below sixty percentile among Chinese herbalists, and above sixty percentile among Chinese herbalists. The heavy metals were analyzed by Agilent 7500C inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the sixty percentile cut-off point of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead concentration were 4.70, 1.75, 21.83, and 35.87 µg/L. Then, we used simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) levels to assess renal function. The covariate variables were age, sex, race, BMI, education, marital status, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, smoking, alcohol consumption, betel nut chewing, and exercise for adjustment. Results: In the single-metal analysis, we found significant negative effects on the GFR levels in four metals by the multiple linear regression analysis. However, there were the borderline associations between multi-metal analysis and the GFR levels in cadmium and lead. Furthermore, we found that there was a significant effect (β,-10.71; S.E., 4.80) on the both cadmium and lead concentrations above sixty percentile group. Conclusions: In the present study, we found Chinese herbalists’ GFR levels were significantly declines compared with general population, and the significant decline on GFR levels appeared on both high levels of cadmium and lead group. In future study, the heavy metal levels in blood may decline continually, and multi-metal and low-dose exposure may be the critical and important form which modern people worthily concern.