DISORDERED BEHAVIOR IN THE EARLY-BORN TAIWAN YUCHENG CHILDREN

Behavioral problems were evaluated in Taiwanese children who were born between July 1978 and June 1985 to women who had consumed rice oil that was contaminated by heat-degraded polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). One hundred and eighteen such children, referred to as 'the early-born Yucheng children', and matched controls were followed with the Chinese version of Rutter's Child Behavior Scale A annually from 1985 to 1991. At an fixed age, the early-born Yucheng children had mean Rutter behavior scores 1.75 to 2.40 points higher (14-38% worse) than that of their controls. The effects were similar in the health, habit, and behavioral subscores and persistent as the children aged.