Impact of Air Pollution on Child Development
Author Information
Author(s): Frederica P. Perera, Virginia Rauh, Robin M. Whyatt, Wei-Yann Tsai, Deliang Tang, Diurka Diaz, Lori Hoepner, Dana Barr, Yi-Hsuan Tu, David Camann, Patrick Kinney
Primary Institution: Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Hypothesis
Does prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) affect neurodevelopment in children?
Conclusion
High prenatal exposure to PAHs is associated with lower cognitive development scores in children at age 3.
Supporting Evidence
- Children with high prenatal PAH exposure had a significantly lower mental development index at age 3.
- The odds of cognitive developmental delay were 2.89 times greater for children with high prenatal PAH exposure.
- No significant effects were found on psychomotor development or behavioral problems.
Takeaway
Breathing in certain air pollutants while pregnant can make it harder for babies to think and learn when they grow up.
Methodology
The study used personal air sampling to measure PAH exposure during pregnancy and assessed child development using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding by socioeconomic status and lack of postnatal exposure data.
Limitations
The study had a modest sample size and lacked air monitoring data for all three trimesters.
Participant Demographics
Nonsmoking African-American and Dominican mothers and their children in New York City.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI, –9.05 to –2.33
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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