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Cost of developmental delay from prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Katherine Weiland1, Matthew Neidell, Virginia Rauh

  • 1Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10025, USA. kjweiland@gmail.com

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
|February 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is linked to developmental delays in children. This study estimates the annual cost of special education services for low-income New York City children due to PAH exposure exceeds $13.7 million.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Public Health Economics

Background:

  • Early life exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a known risk factor for developmental delays.
  • The economic burden of developmental delays attributed to PAH exposure has not been previously quantified.
  • Previous research identified significant effects of prenatal PAH exposure on mental development in a New York City (NYC) cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the annual costs of preschool special education services for low-income NYC children experiencing developmental delays linked to prenatal PAH exposure.
  • To provide economic data supporting public health policies aimed at reducing ambient PAH levels.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from a cohort of low-income women and children in NYC.
  • Applied the Environmentally Attributable Fraction (EAF) method to estimate costs.
  • Focused on costs associated with preschool special education services for children with developmental delay.

Main Results:

  • The estimated annual cost of PAH-exposure-related special education services for Medicaid births in NYC is over $13.7 million.
  • This significant economic impact highlights the societal cost of developmental delays from environmental exposures.
  • The findings underscore the financial benefits of mitigating PAH exposure.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal exposure to ambient PAHs incurs substantial economic costs for special education services in NYC.
  • Reducing PAH levels in NYC air is a cost-effective public health strategy.
  • Policy interventions targeting PAH reduction are warranted to mitigate developmental delays and associated economic burdens.

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