Environment in Children's Health: A New Challenge for Risk Assessment

In the last few years, many studies have focused on the effects of environmental contaminant exposure during the prenatal period or infancy as predictors of health outcomes in the future. In these time windows, due to their rapid growth, and physiologic and metabolic development, we can observe a higher vulnerability to the effects of environment, with respect to adulthood. The evidence of possible influences, partly mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, involve neurobehavioral responses and immune, endocrine, and respiratory systems, acting directly on the child or indirectly when mediated by placental transfer or breast feeding. In particular, due to a greater intake of air, food, and fluids relative to body weight, crawling behaviors and short stature, the risk of excessive exposure is greater in children. However, data on the long-term implications of early exposures are scarce. Additionally, so that physicians and institutions for child care and assistance of pregnant women can take actions to counteract the effects of chemical pollution (i.e., by educational opportunities), a risk assessment perspective that responds to the biocomplexity of the human being is needed. The present paper provides an overview of physiologic and behavioral characteristics during the perinatal period and in childhood, suggesting in a more integrated way, the need of a new risk-assessment approach to managing chronic disease in pediatric patients.