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Prenatal air pollution exposure is associated with altered neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood

Alexandra F Bonthrone1, Brendan Bos2, Ben Barratt2

  • 1Research Department of Early Life Imaging, Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.

The Journal of Physiology
|April 28, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester, is linked to lower language development in toddlers. Preterm infants are more vulnerable to air pollution

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Prenatal exposure to air pollution is a growing concern for child neurodevelopment.
  • The influence of specific exposure windows and infant characteristics remains unclear.
  • Understanding these relationships is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal air pollution exposure (PM2.5, PM10, NO2) and neurodevelopmental outcomes in toddlers.
  • To explore whether gestational exposure timing or infant characteristics modify these associations.
  • To identify critical windows of vulnerability for air pollution effects on child development.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 498 toddlers in the developing human connectome project.
  • Modeled average prenatal exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide by trimester using maternal residential postcodes.
  • Assessed cognitive, language, and motor abilities using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-3rd edition.

Main Results:

  • Higher first-trimester exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 was associated with lower language scores in toddlers.
  • Preterm infants exposed to higher levels of pollutants across gestation showed lower motor scores.
  • Adjustments were made for multiple confounding factors including sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Conclusions:

  • Early pregnancy air pollution exposure is linked to altered early language development.
  • Preterm infants exhibit heightened vulnerability to air pollution's impact on motor development.
  • Reducing maternal air pollution exposure may be a key strategy to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Keywords:
neurodevelopmental outcomesnitrogen dioxideparticulate matterprenatalpreterm infants

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