Till, ChristineGoodman, Carly Victoria2023-10-032023-10-032023-01https://hdl.handle.net/10315/41451Objective: To examine sex-specific effects of exposure to developmental neurotoxicants on IQ in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Method: We screened abstracts published before December 31, 2021, for empirical studies of six neurotoxicants (lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, organophosphates, and phthalates) that (1) used an individualized biomarker; (2) measured exposure during the prenatal period or before age six; and (3) provided effect estimates on general, nonverbal, and/or verbal IQ by sex. We performed separate random effect meta-analyses by sex with subgroup analyses by neurotoxicant. Results: Fifty-one studies were included in the systematic review and 22 in the meta-analysis. Prenatal exposure to neurotoxicants was associated with decreased general and nonverbal IQ in males, especially for lead. No significant effects were found for females or verbal IQ. Conclusion: During fetal development, males may be more vulnerable than females to general and nonverbal intellectual deficits from neurotoxic exposures, especially from lead.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.PsychologyNeurosciencesEpidemiologyElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2023-10-03Developmental neurotoxicityPrenatalPostnatalIntellectual abilitiesNeurodevelopmentToxic chemicals