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Exposure to air pollution from traffic and neurodevelopmental disorders in Swedish twins

Tong Gong1, Catarina Almqvist1, Sven Bölte2

  • 1Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics,Karolinska Institutet,Stockholm,Sweden.

Twin Research and Human Genetics : the Official Journal of the International Society for Twin Studies
|September 18, 2014
PubMed

Insights

This study found no clear link between air pollution exposure (particulate matter and nitrogen oxides) before or after birth and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Emerging research suggests a connection between air pollution and childhood neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • The specific impact of prenatal and postnatal air pollution exposure remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between road traffic-related air pollution and the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
  • To examine the role of both pre- and postnatal air pollution exposure.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 3,426 twins born in Stockholm (1992-2000) was studied.
  • Air pollution levels (PM10 and NOx) were estimated at residences during pregnancy, the first year, and the ninth year of life.
  • Multivariate regression models analyzed associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes, adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

  • No consistent associations were observed between air pollution exposure during the studied periods and ASD or ADHD.
  • Specific examples showed no significant increased odds for ASD or ADHD with increased exposure to NOx or PM10 during pregnancy.

Conclusions:

  • The study's findings do not support a link between prenatal or postnatal exposure to road traffic air pollution and neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
  • Further research may be needed to explore potential subtle effects or different exposure windows.
Abstract

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