Prenatal exposure to particulates and anthropometry through 9 years of age in a birth cohort
Ian R Trees1, Abhisek Saha2, Diane L Putnick1
1Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Insights
Prenatal exposure to particulate matter (PM10) was linked to increased childhood body mass index (BMI) z-scores. This association was observed even at low pollution levels, highlighting the impact of air quality during pregnancy on child development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Existing research suggests a correlation between prenatal air pollution and childhood obesity.
- The precise timing of prenatal air pollution exposure and its impact on child development remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and child anthropometry.
- To determine if specific windows of prenatal exposure influence childhood body mass index z-scores (zBMI).
Main Methods:
- Utilized linear mixed models to analyze children's zBMI at ages 0-3 years (N=4370) and 7-9 years (n=1191).
- Examined six distinct windows of prenatal exposure to PM10 and PM2.5.
- Adjusted for maternal, child, and neighborhood confounding factors.
Main Results:
- Prenatal PM10 exposure across gestation and during specific windows correlated with elevated zBMI in both early and middle childhood.
- A single interquartile range increase in PM10 during the first two weeks of pregnancy was linked to higher zBMI at 0-3 and 7-9 years.
- Prenatal PM2.5 exposure in the final two weeks of gestation was associated with increased zBMI at 7-9 years.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to PM10, even at low ambient levels, is associated with higher childhood zBMI.
- Findings underscore the importance of air quality during pregnancy for long-term child metabolic health.
Background:
Previous research observed links between prenatal air pollution and risk of childhood obesity but the timing of the exposure is understudied.
Aim:
We examined prenatal particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) exposure and child anthropometry.
Materials & Methods:
Children's body mass index z-scores (zBMI) at 0-3 (N = 4370) and 7-9 (n = 1191) years were derived from reported anthropometry at paediatric visits. We ran linear mixed models for six windows, adjusting for maternal, child, and neighbourhood factors.
Results:
PM10 exposure across pregnancy and at multiple windows was associated with higher zBMI in both early and middle childhood. For instance, one interquartile range increase in PM10 exposure during the first 2 weeks of pregnancy was associated with higher zBMI at 0-3 (0.05, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.10) and 7-9 (0.14, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.23). PM2.5 exposure during the final 2 weeks of gestation was associated with higher zBMI at 7-9 years (B: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.22).
Conclusion:
Even at low levels of air pollution, prenatal PM10 exposure was associated with higher zBMI in childhood.
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