Effect of Perinatal Dioxin Exposure Originating from Agent Orange on Gaze Behavior in 3-Year-Old Children Living in the Most Dioxin-Contaminated Areas in Vietnam

Abstract

We investigated the effect of perinatal dioxin exposure indicated by dioxins in breast milk on children’s gaze behavior. We studied 142 children aged 3 years from the 2012 Bien Hoa birth cohort in a hotspot of dioxin contamination in Vietnam. Children’s faces were viewed using the eye-tracking method. Associations between gaze behavior of faces and neurodevelopmental indices and head circumference were analyzed to determine whether poor gaze behavior indicates increased autistic traits in these children. The gaze fixation duration on facial areas when viewing 10 still images of children was calculated as the gaze behavior index. Autistic behavior was assessed using the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale, and language development was evaluated by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Ver. 3. The face fixation duration (%) significantly decreased as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) concentrations increased in a dose−effect manner in girls, which suggested atypical gaze behavior for watching human faces. Furthermore, these girls with atypical gaze behavior showed lower social communication scores and smaller head sizes, suggesting increased autistic traits in girls. In conclusion, our findings show sex-specific effects (girls > boys) of perinatal TCDD exposure on gaze behavior in young children.

Keywords: Vietnam; autistic trait; dioxin; gaze behavior; social communication.

Figure 1

Density of the fixation duration when children watched a picture of two children.

Figure 2

The dose–effect relationship between perinatal TCDD exposure and gaze performance: comparison of the adjusted face fixation duration (%) among the low (<3.5), middle (3.5–6.3), and high (≥6.3 pg/g lipid) TCDD groups in boys and girls. Note: TCDD: 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin; N: number of subjects.