RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs less commonly among women than men in almost all regions of the world. The disparity in risk is particularly notable prior to menopause suggesting that hormonal exposures during reproductive life may be protective. Exogenous oestrogenic exposures such as oral contraceptives (OCs), however, have been reported to increase risk, suggesting that estrogens may be hepatocarcinogenic. To examine the effects of reproductive factors and exogenous hormones on risk, we conducted a prospective analysis among a large group of US women. METHODS: In the Liver Cancer Pooling Project, a consortium of US-based cohort studies, data from 799,500 women in 11 cohorts were pooled and harmonised. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to generate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of reproductive factors and exogenous hormones with HCC (n=248). RESULTS: Bilateral oophorectomy was associated with a significantly increased risk of HCC (HR=2.67, 95% CI=1.22-5.85), which did not appear to be related to a shorter duration of exposure to endogenous hormones or to menopausal hormone therapy use. There was no association between OC use and HCC (HR=1.12, 95% CI=0.82-1.55). Nor were there associations with parity, age at first birth, age at natural menopause, or duration of fertility. CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that bilateral oophorectomy increases the risk of HCC but the explanation for the association is unclear. There was no association between OC use and HCC risk. Examination of endogenous hormone levels in relation to HCC may help to clarify the findings of the current study.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Hepatocelular/epidemiologia , Anticoncepcionais Orais Hormonais/administração & dosagem , Neoplasias Hepáticas/epidemiologia , História Reprodutiva , Adulto , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/tratamento farmacológico , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/etiologia , Estudos de Coortes , Anticoncepcionais Orais Hormonais/efeitos adversos , Feminino , Humanos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Hepáticas/etiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos de Riscos Proporcionais , Estudos Prospectivos , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Nutrients in the one-carbon metabolism pathway may be involved in carcinogenesis. Few cohort studies have investigated the intakes of folate and related nutrients in relation to gastric and esophageal cancer. METHODS: We prospectively examined the association between self-reported intakes of folate, methionine, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 and gastric and esophageal cancer in 492,293 men and women. RESULTS: We observed an elevated risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with low intake of folate (relative risk (95% confidence interval): Q1 vs Q3, 1.91 (1.17, 3.10)), but no association with high intake. Folate intake was not associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, or non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma. The intakes of methionine, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 were not associated with esophageal and gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Low intake of folate was associated with increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Assuntos
Dieta/estatística & dados numéricos , Neoplasias Esofágicas/epidemiologia , Ácido Fólico/administração & dosagem , Metionina/administração & dosagem , Neoplasias Gástricas/epidemiologia , Vitamina B 12/administração & dosagem , Vitamina B 6/administração & dosagem , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/epidemiologia , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Risco , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking increase the risk of several cancers and certain components of cigarette smoke and alcohol can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, it remains unclear whether these exposures influence the risk of glioma. METHODS: We examined the associations between cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and risk of glioma in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, a prospective study of 477,095 US men and women ages 50-71 years at baseline. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using models with age as the time metric and adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, education, and marital status. RESULTS: During a median 10.5 person-years of follow-up, 492 men and 212 women were diagnosed with first primary glioma. Among men, current, heavier smoking was associated with a reduced risk of glioma compared with never smoking, but this was based on only nine cases. No associations were observed between smoking behaviours and glioma risk in women. Greater alcohol consumption was associated with a decreased risk of glioma, particularly among men (>2 drinks per day vs <1 drink per week: HR=0.67, 95% CI=0.51-0.90). CONCLUSION: Smoking and alcohol drinking do not appear to increase the risk of glioma.
Assuntos
Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Encefálicas/epidemiologia , Glioma/epidemiologia , Fumar/epidemiologia , Idoso , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/efeitos adversos , Neoplasias Encefálicas/etiologia , Feminino , Glioma/etiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fumar/efeitos adversos , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The relationship between cigarette smoking and breast cancer risk has been inconsistent, potentially due to modification by other factors or confounding. METHODS: We examined smoking and breast cancer risk in a prospective cohort of 186 150 female AARP (formerly American Association of Retired Persons) members, ages 50-71 years, who joined the study in 1995-96 by responding to a questionnaire. Through 2006, 7481 breast cancers were diagnosed. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated, overall and stratified by breast cancer risk factors, using Cox proportional hazards regression. Multiplicative interactions were evaluated using the likelihood ratio test. RESULTS: Increased breast cancer risk was associated with current (HR 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.28) and former (HR 1.07, CI 1.01-1.13) smoking. The current smoking association was stronger among women without (HR 1.24, CI 1.15-1.35) as compared to those with a family history of breast cancer (HR 0.94, CI 0.78-1.13) (P-interaction=0.03). The current smoking association was also stronger among those with later (≥ 15 years: HR 1.52, CI 1.20-1.94) as compared with earlier (≥12 years: HR 1.14, CI 1.03-1.27; 13-14 years: HR 1.18, CI 1.05-1.32) ages at menarche (P-interaction=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Risk was elevated in smokers, particularly in those without a family history or late menarche. Research into smoking's effects on the genome and breast development may clarify these relationships.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/epidemiologia , Pós-Menopausa , Fumar/epidemiologia , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: There are limited prospective studies of fish and meat intakes with risk of endometrial cancer and findings are inconsistent. METHODS: We studied associations between fish and meat intakes and endometrial cancer incidence in the large, prospective National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Intakes of meat mutagens 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiMeIQx) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) were also calculated. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: We observed no associations with endometrial cancer risk comparing the highest to lowest intake quintiles of red (HR=0.91, 95% CI 0.77-1.08), white (0.98, 0.83-1.17), processed meats (1.02, 0.86-1.21) and fish (1.10, 95% CI 0.93-1.29). We also found no associations between meat mutagen intakes and endometrial cancer. CONCLUSION: Our findings do not support an association between meat or fish intakes or meat mutagens and endometrial cancer.
Assuntos
Culinária/estatística & dados numéricos , Dieta/estatística & dados numéricos , Neoplasias do Endométrio/epidemiologia , Peixes , Carne/estatística & dados numéricos , Idoso , Animais , Neoplasias do Endométrio/etiologia , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Nitrate and nitrite are present in many foods and are precursors of N-nitroso compounds, known animal carcinogens and potential human carcinogens. We prospectively investigated the association between nitrate and nitrite intake from dietary sources and risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) overall and clear cell and papillary histological subtypes in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. METHODS: Nitrate and nitrite intakes were estimated from a 124-item food frequency questionnaire. Over a mean follow-up of 9 years, we identified 1816 RCC cases (n=498, clear cell; n=115, papillary cell) among 491 841 participants. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Individuals in the highest quintile of nitrite intake from animal sources compared with those in the lowest quintile, had an increased risk of total RCC and clear cell subtype (HR=1.28, 95% CI, 1.10-1.49 and HR=1.68, 95% CI, 1.25-2.27, respectively). Nitrite from processed meats and other animal sources were associated with increased clear cell adenocarcinoma risk (HR=1.33, 95% CI, 1.01-1.76 and HR=1.78, 95% CI, 1.34-2.36, respectively). We found no association for nitrite intake from plant sources or nitrate intake overall. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that nitrite from animal sources may increase the risk of RCC, particularly clear cell adenocarcinomas.
Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Renais/epidemiologia , Alimentos , Neoplasias Renais/epidemiologia , Carne , Nitratos/efeitos adversos , Nitritos/efeitos adversos , Adenocarcinoma de Células Claras/epidemiologia , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Risco , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The effect of moderate to heavy drinking (>15 g per day) on renal cell cancer (RCC) risk is unclear. METHOD: The relationship between alcohol consumption and RCC was examined in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study (n=49 2187, 1814 cases). RESULTS: Compared with >0 to <5 g per day of alcohol consumption, the multivariate relative risk (95% confidence intervals) for 15 to <30 and î¶30 g per day was, 0.75 (0.63-0.90) and 0.71 (0.59-0.85), respectively, in men and 0.67 (0.42-1.07) and 0.43 (0.22-0.84), respectively, in women. CONCLUSION: Alcohol consumption was inversely associated with RCC in a dose-response manner. The inverse association may be extended to î¶30 g per day of alcohol intake.
Assuntos
Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/epidemiologia , Carcinoma de Células Renais/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Renais/epidemiologia , Dieta , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Estudos Prospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Use of aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may reduce the risk of gastric or oesophageal adenocarcinomas. We examined the association between self-reported use of aspirin or non-aspirin NSAIDs in the earlier 12 months and gastric non-cardia (N=182), gastric cardia (N=178), and oesophageal adenocarcinomas (N=228) in a prospective cohort (N=311 115) followed for 7 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) come from Cox models adjusted for potential confounders. Use of any aspirin (HR, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.47-0.86) or other NSAIDs (0.68, 0.51-0.92) was associated with a significantly lower risk of gastric non-cardia adenocarcinoma. Neither aspirin (0.86, 0.61-1.20) nor other NSAIDs (0.91, 0.67-1.22) had a significant association with gastric cardia cancer. We found no significant association between using aspirin (1.00, 0.73-1.37) or other NSAIDs (0.90, 69-1.17) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma. We also performed a meta-analysis of the association between the use of NSAIDs and risk of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma. In this analysis, aspirin use was inversely associated with both gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinomas, with summary odds ratios (95% CI) for non-cardia, cardia, and oesophageal adenocarcinomas of 0.64 (0.52-0.80), 0.82 (0.65-1.04), and 0.64 (0.52-0.79), respectively. The corresponding numbers for other NSAIDs were 0.68 (0.57-0.81), 0.80 (0.67-0.95), and 0.65 (0.50-0.85), respectively.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma/prevenção & controle , Anti-Inflamatórios não Esteroides/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias Esofágicas/prevenção & controle , Neoplasias Gástricas/prevenção & controle , Estudos de Coortes , Humanos , Fatores de Risco , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Certain studies suggest that alcohol may reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in women, but the effect in men remains unclear. METHODS: We analysed the association between alcohol and thyroid cancer in a large (n=490 159) prospective NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study with self-reported beer, wine, and liquor intakes. RESULTS: Over 7.5 years of follow-up (median), 170 men and 200 women developed thyroid cancer. Overall, the thyroid cancer risk decreased with greater alcohol consumption (> or =2 drinks per day vs none, relative risk=0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.89, P-trend=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a potential protective role for alcohol consumption in thyroid cancer.
Assuntos
Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/prevenção & controle , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , RiscoRESUMO
A sociometric measure of identity status was developed based on Marcia's (1966) four ordinal levels of ego identity achievement: Identity Achievement, Moratorium, Foreclosure, and Diffusion. Boarding school adolescent boys (N = 197) rated their dormitory mates on each dimension twice with an interval of six months. Results indicate age differences in identity status for young adolescents, identity development associated with time, and a strong relation between adolescent behavior problems and levels of identity status. Efforts to relate identity status to child-rearing values, social problem-solving, stress, health concerns, and independence were inconclusive.
Assuntos
Desenvolvimento da Personalidade , Psicologia do Adolescente , Autoimagem , Adolescente , Estudos de Coortes , Humanos , Masculino , Resolução de Problemas , Estresse Psicológico/psicologiaRESUMO
Time estimations of 1-min. intervals using the method of reproduction by 112 Navajo children were measured under neutral and reward conditions in a repeated-measures design. Anticipated reward (a piece of candy) significantly reduced the accuracy of time estimations. In contrast to previous research the girls were more accurate than the boys; however, the effect of reward was more pronounced for girls than for boys. These data suggest that motivating factors play an important role in the reproduction of time by Navajo children.
Assuntos
Indígenas Norte-Americanos , Recompensa , Percepção do Tempo , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Fatores SexuaisRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Adenocarcinomas of the upper gastrointestinal tract (UGI) show remarkable male predominance. As smoking is a well-established risk factor, we investigated the role of tobacco smoking in the male predominance of UGI adenocarcinomas in the United States NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. METHOD: A questionnaire was completed by 281,422 men and 186,133 women in 1995-1996 who were followed until 31st December 2003. Incident UGI adenocarcinomas were identified by linkage to state cancer registries. We present age-standardised cancer incidence rates per 100,000-person years and male/female ratios (M/F) calculated from age-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, both with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: After 2013,142-person years follow-up, 338 adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus, 261 of gastric cardia and 222 of gastric non-cardia occurred in men. In women, 23 tumours of oesophagus, 36 of gastric cardia and 88 of gastric non-cardia occurred in 1351,958-person years follow-up. The age-standardised incidence rate of all adenocarcinoma sites was 40.5 (37.8-43.3) and 11.0 (9.2-12.8) in men and women, respectively. Among smokers, the M/F of all UGI adenocarcinomas was 3.4 (2.7-4.1), with a M/F of 7.3 (4.6-11.7) for tumours in oesophagus, 3.7 (2.5-5.4) for gastric cardia and 1.7 (1.2-2.3) for gastric non-cardia. In non-smokers, M/F ratios were 14.2 (5.1-39.5) for oesophagus, 6.1 (2.6-14.7) for gastric cardia and 1.3 (0.8-2.0) for gastric non-cardia. The overall M/F ratio was 3.0 (2.2-4.3). CONCLUSION: The male predominance was similar in smokers and non-smokers for these cancer sites. These results suggest that the male predominance of upper GI adenocarcinomas cannot be explained by differences in smoking histories.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma/epidemiologia , Cárdia , Neoplasias Esofágicas/epidemiologia , Fumar/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Gástricas/epidemiologia , Distribuição por Idade , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Distribuição por Sexo , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
The authors investigated the relationship between hot tea, iced tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks consumption and upper gastrointestinal tract cancers risk in the NIH-AARP Study. During 2,584,953 person-years of follow-up on 481,563 subjects, 392 oral cavity, 178 pharynx, 307 larynx, 231 gastric cardia, 224 gastric non-cardia cancer, 123 Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) and 305 Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma (EADC) cases were accrued. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by multivariate-adjusted Cox regression. Compared to non-drinking, the hazard ratio for hot tea intake of > or =1 cup/day was 0.37 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.70) for pharyngeal cancer. The authors also observed a significant association between coffee drinking and risk of gastric cardia cancer (compared to <1 cup/day, the hazard ratio for drinking >3 cups/day was 1.57 (95% CI: 1.03, 2.39)), and an inverse association between coffee drinking and EADC for the cases occurring in the last 3 years of follow-up (compared to <1 cup/day, the hazard ratio for drinking >3 cups/day was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.31, 0.92)), but no association in earlier follow-up. In summary, hot tea intake was inversely associated with pharyngeal cancer, and coffee was directly associated with gastric cardia cancer, but was inversely associated with EADC during some follow-up periods.
Assuntos
Bebidas Gaseificadas/efeitos adversos , Café/efeitos adversos , Neoplasias Gastrointestinais/etiologia , Chá/efeitos adversos , Idoso , Feminino , Seguimentos , Neoplasias Gastrointestinais/epidemiologia , Temperatura Alta/efeitos adversos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaAssuntos
Indígenas Norte-Americanos , Testes de Personalidade , Autoimagem , Criança , Comparação Transcultural , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Estados UnidosRESUMO
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between food patterns, constructed with cluster analysis, and colorectal cancer incidence within the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A prospective cohort, aged 50-71 years at baseline in 1995-1996, followed until the end of 2000. Food patterns were constructed, separately in men (n=293,576) and women (n=198,730), with 181 food variables (daily intake frequency per 1000 kcal) from a food frequency questionnaire. Four large clusters were identified in men and three in women. Cox proportional hazards regression examined associations between patterns and cancer incidence. RESULTS: In men, a vegetable and fruit pattern was associated with reduced colorectal cancer incidence (multivariate hazard ratio, HR: 0.85; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.76, 0.94), when compared to less salutary food choices. Both the vegetable and fruit pattern and a fat-reduced foods pattern were associated with reduced rectal cancer incidence in men. In women, a similar vegetable and fruit pattern was associated with colorectal cancer protection (age-adjusted HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.95), but the association was not statistically significant in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These results, together with findings from previous studies support the hypothesis that micronutrient dense, low-fat, high-fiber food patterns protect against colorectal cancer.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Colorretais/epidemiologia , Dieta , Idoso , Análise por Conglomerados , Estudos de Coortes , Neoplasias Colorretais/etiologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/prevenção & controle , Inquéritos sobre Dietas , Dieta com Restrição de Gorduras , Fibras na Dieta/administração & dosagem , Feminino , Frutas , Humanos , Incidência , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos de Riscos Proporcionais , Fatores Sexuais , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , VerdurasRESUMO
We investigated the relation between head and neck cancer risk and alcohol consumption in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. During 2,203,500 person-years of follow-up, 611 men and 183 women developed head and neck cancer. With moderate drinking (up to one alcoholic drink per day) as the referent group, non-drinkers showed an increased risk of head and neck cancer (men: hazard ratio (HR) 1.68, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.37-2.06; women: 1.46, 1.02-2.08). Among male and female alcohol drinkers, we observed a significant dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and risk. The HR for consuming >3 drinks per day was significantly higher in women (2.52, 1.46-4.35) than in men (1.48, 1.15-1.90; P for interaction=0.0036). The incidence rates per 100 000 person-years for those who consumed >3 drinks per day were similar in men (77.6) and women (75.3). The higher HRs observed in women resulted from lower incidence rates in the referent group: women (14.7), men (34.4). In summary, drinking >3 alcoholic beverages per day was associated with increased risk in men and women, but consumption of up to one drink per day may be associated with reduced risk relative to non-drinking.
Assuntos
Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/epidemiologia , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/epidemiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Masculino , National Institutes of Health (U.S.) , Estudos Prospectivos , Medição de Risco , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
To provide a first assessment of television influences on infants in the naturalistic setting of the home, visual and vocal behaviors of 72 infants 6 months of age were recorded during 4 days of exposure to various components of broadcast television programs: sound only, picture only, sound plus picture, or a control stimulus of unpatterned sound plus picture. Infants looked longer at the television set during the sound-plus-picture condition than during the picture-only condition, and they looked longer during both of these patterned picture conditions than during both of the other conditions that lacked a patterned picture. Also, infants vocalized more during the picture-only condition than during the sound-only condition. These findings demonstrate that infants attend to the naturalistic presentation of television stimulation and that they respond differentially to the visual and auditory components of television. The results are discussed in terms of the question of the long-term influence on infants' social responsiveness of substantial levels of exposure to the noncontingent, quasi-social stimulation provided by television.
Assuntos
Lactente , Televisão , Comportamento Verbal , Percepção Visual , Estimulação Acústica , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Estimulação LuminosaRESUMO
Exposure to anesthetic drugs during gestation has been shown to cause behavioral changes in rats, and exposure during labor and delivery also affects human neonatal behavior. In this preliminary study, nine neonates who had been exposed to anesthetic agents during gestation were tested for visual-pattern preference. These nine infants looked at the stimuli for statistically significantly longer periods compared with 30 non-exposed infants, and had significantly different preferences for some pairs of patterns. The results suggest that prenatal exposure to anesthetic agents may contribute to behavioral alterations in human neonates.
Assuntos
Anestesia Obstétrica/efeitos adversos , Percepção de Forma/efeitos dos fármacos , Recém-Nascido/psicologia , Reconhecimento Visual de Modelos/efeitos dos fármacos , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal , Adulto , Anestésicos , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Gravidez , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Sperm-positive female Long-Evans hooded rats were injected with 6 mg/kg lidocaine (with epinephrine), 6 mg/kg mepivacaine, or saline, into the masseter muscle of the jaw on Day 11 of gestation. Birth, growth, and litter composition were unaffected by the drug treatment, as was shuttle box acquisition. Offspring of drug-treated dams had longer latencies than controls on the first day of negative geotaxis training, and were more sensitive to electric footshock. Lidocaine-dosed offspring responded less in the presence of the correct cue in the visual discrimination task, and mepivacaine-dosed animals were hypoactive in the open field. In a second study, offspring of lidocaine-dosed dams were slower to develop the righting reflex, made more errors in acquiring a water maze, had longer suppression times in a conditioned suppression task, and had longer latencies in the tail flick test. Dosing had no effect upon birth and growth, shuttle box, or footshock sensitivity. These data demonstrate that midgestational exposure to lidocaine or mepivacaine at a dose near the limits of permissible human exposure produces significant behavioral changes in the offspring. This preliminary study suggests that development of some portion of the central nervous system is altered by such exposure. Further work is required to determine the parameters and the extent of the effect.