Table 2 PECO Statement

Population

Humans of age 3–17 years at time of IQ test with toxicant exposure measured during the prenatal or early postnatal period (up to age six);

Exposure

Exposure to one of the six neurotoxicants (lead, mercury, PCBs, PBDEs, OPPs, and phthalates; level of toxicant exposure was determined through an individualized biomarker (e.g., blood, hair, urine)

Comparator

Children with lower levels of lead, mercury, PCBs, PBDEs, OPPS, or phthalates

Outcome

IQ measured in individual children at ages 3–17 years. IQ assessments include (but are not limited to): Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA)

Study Design

Empirical epidemiological studies excluding case studies