Early Environment and Telomeres: a Long-Term Toxic Relationship.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health Sciences
• Pediatric Health
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Telomere length (TL) shortening is a key indicator of biological aging.
• While adult exposures are studied, prenatal environmental exposures are increasingly recognized as critical.
• Specific pollutants include air pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and summarize the evidence linking prenatal environmental exposures to children's telomere length.
• To discuss the potential long-term health consequences of these early-life telomere alterations.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing scientific literature.
• Analysis of studies investigating the association between prenatal environmental exposures and telomere length in children.
• Discussion of variability in findings related to exposure source, timing, and measurement.

Main Results:

• Consistent evidence indicates that prenatal exposure to various environmental pollutants alters telomere length in children.
• Pregnancy is identified as a critical window of susceptibility for telomere damage.
• Early childhood changes in TL due to prenatal exposures are observed.

Conclusions:

• Prenatal environmental exposures significantly impact children's telomere length.
• These early-life alterations in telomere length may have lasting effects on health throughout an individual's lifespan.
• Further research is needed to confirm if early TL changes mediate long-term health outcomes.