The risks to health from air pollution are well established. Research has shown that children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of breathing in toxins and particulate matter, especially in terms of brain development. Now, a large study from Canada shows that air pollution exposure during pregnancy leads to an increased risk that a child will develop cerebral palsy.
Exposure to Air Pollution in Pregnancy and CP Risk
The most recent study of the effects of air pollution on a child’s health was published recently in JAMA Network. Researchers collected information from nearly 1.6 million mothers and their children. All the children were full-term, live births. They collected health data from 2002 to 2017, including 3,170 diagnoses of cerebral palsy.
The researchers gathered data on weekly levels of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) in the air in the areas where the women lived while pregnant. The study attempted to control for other factors that could affect cerebral palsy risk, including socioeconomic status and maternal health.
The results clearly showed that mothers exposed to more particulate matter were more likely to have children with cerebral palsy. For every interquartile range increase in PM2.5 in the air during the mother’s pregnancy, her child was 1.12 times more likely to be diagnosed with cerebral palsy later. There was no association between ozone and nitrogen dioxide levels and cerebral palsy risk.
How Air Pollution Contributes to Cerebral Palsy
The study showed a correlation between particulate matter and cerebral palsy. It did not prove that air pollution causes CP, but the correlation is strong and significant, especially because the researchers controlled other factors.
Other interesting facts include a higher risk of CP related to air pollution exposure in boys than in girls. The researchers were unable to pinpoint a critical time during pregnancy when air pollution most affects a child’s development.
They also could not explain why exposure to particulate matter in the air might increase the CP risk. One idea is that air pollution might cause or exacerbate inflammation in the brain, which could disrupt brain development.
Other Studies on Air Pollution and Health
This was not the first study to connect air pollution to adverse health effects. However, it was the first definitive proof of a relationship between air pollution and cerebral palsy. Other studies have found a connection between prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and a child’s risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Additionally, many studies have found that air pollution is bad for a child’s health after they are born. Children inhale more air than adults. Their brains are still developing, so any pollution in the air can interfere with normal brain development.
The association between air pollution and health in general is well known. This most recent study adds to the knowledge and can inform healthcare and parents as they consider how their lifestyles and choice affect their unborn children.
