Research progress on association between prenatal exposure to endocrinedisrupting chemicals and children's executive function

In recent decades, the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children has been on the rise worldwide, and executive function plays an important role in early childhood development. Previous studies have shown that environmental endocrinedisrupting chemicals can enter brain tissue through the placental and blood-brain barriers, affecting neurodevelopment and jeopardizing children’s executive function development. During pregnancy, a special period for women of reproductive age, exposure to endocrinedisrupting chemicals not only affects intrauterine development, but may also have far-reaching effects on offspring health after birth. This article focused on reviewing domestic and international research literature on the effects of exposure to endocrinedisrupting chemicals e.g., phthalates, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs), and bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy on offspring executive function published from 2015 to 2024, and further exploring potential associated biological mechanisms. Most studies pointed that endocrinedisrupting chemicals during pregnancy may affect children's executive function through triggering neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter disruption, and placental dysfunction. Specifically, exposure to phthalates and PBDEs during pregnancy is associated with reduced executive function in children, and the effects of PFAS and BPA are unclear. These findings suggest that more epidemiological studies and animal experiments need to be conducted in the future to deeply explore the effects of endocrinedisrupting chemicals exposure during pregnancy on children's executive function and its potential causal mechanisms, so as to provide new ideas for preventing neurodevelopmental disorders in children and promoting healthy development of children.