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Prenatal exposure to diurnal temperature variation and early childhood pneumonia

Ji Zeng1, Chan Lu1, Qihong Deng2

  • 1School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

Journal of Thermal Biology
|March 28, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Childhood pneumonia risk is linked to prenatal exposure to diurnal temperature variation (DTV), especially during the second trimester. This suggests a fetal origin for the disease in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Epidemiology
  • Pediatric Health
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood pneumonia remains a significant global cause of child mortality and morbidity.
  • The precise causes of childhood pneumonia are not fully understood.
  • Investigating environmental risk factors is crucial for understanding pneumonia etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between childhood pneumonia and diurnal temperature variation (DTV) exposure.
  • To identify critical exposure windows for DTV during prenatal and postnatal periods.
  • To explore potential sex-based differences in susceptibility to DTV-related pneumonia.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study involving 2,598 children aged 3-6 years in Changsha, China.
  • Assessment of lifetime pneumonia prevalence via parental questionnaires.
  • Estimation of individual DTV exposure during prenatal and postnatal periods.
  • Utilization of logic regression models to determine odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of childhood pneumonia was 38.6% in preschool children in Changsha.
  • Significant association found between pneumonia and prenatal DTV exposure (aOR=1.19, 95%CI=1.02-1.38), particularly in the second trimester.
  • No significant association observed between pneumonia and postnatal DTV exposure.
  • Boys showed higher susceptibility to DTV-related pneumonia risk than girls.
  • Decreased pneumonia prevalence correlated with reduced DTV in recent years.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal exposure to diurnal temperature variation during pregnancy, especially the second trimester, is linked to childhood pneumonia.
  • Findings suggest a potential fetal origin for childhood pneumonia.
  • Environmental factors like DTV during gestation may play a critical role in early childhood respiratory health.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenDiurnal temperature variation (DTV)Fetal origins of diseasePneumoniaPregnancyTrimester

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