School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Environ Int. 2022 Jan;158:107003. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107003. Epub 2021 Nov 25.
Accumulating evidence indicates early life exposure to air pollution, a suspected neurotoxicant, is negatively associated with children's neurodevelopment.
To explore the role of multiple exposure periods to ambient particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μm (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) on emotion and behaviour, and early development in children <13 years.
We used data from Mothers and their Children's Health (MatCH) study, a 2016/17 sub-study from a prospective longitudinal study, the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Annual PM and NO estimates since 1996 were obtained from a land-use regression model. Maternal residential proximity to roadways were used as a proxy measure of exposure to traffic-related air pollution. Child outcomes were maternal-rated emotional and behavioural problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ, aged 2-12 years, n = 5471 children) and developmental delay in communication and gross motor skills (Ages and Stages Questionnaire; ASQ, aged 1-66 months, n = 1265 children). Defined exposure periods were early life exposure ('during pregnancy' and 'first year of life') and 'children's lifetime exposure'. Ambient air pollution was divided into tertiles and logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratio (OR) for each child outcome, adjusting for potential confounders.
Children exposed to moderate and high PM exposure, compared to low exposure, across all periods, had higher odds of emotional and behavioural problems, and gross motor delay. Children's lifetime exposure to moderate levels of PM (5.9-7.1 µg/m) was associated with 1.27 (95% confidence interval 1.03, 1.57) fold higher odds of emotional/behavioural problems. Similar associations were found for moderate PM levels at 'first year of life' in a two-pollutant model only (OR: 1.30; 1.05, 1.60). However, there was insufficient evidence to suggest that NO exposure or living within 200 m of major roads was associated with emotional and behaviour problems or developmental delay across any exposure periods.
We found isolated evidence that early life and childhood exposure to PM may be associated with emotional and behavioural problems and delays in gross motor skills, but most associations were null. Due to the limited number of longitudinal studies on low-exposure settings, further studies with more temporally refined exposure assessment are warranted.
越来越多的证据表明，儿童在生命早期接触到空气污染这种疑似神经毒素，会对其神经发育产生负面影响。
探索儿童<13 岁时，多个时期接触环境细颗粒物（PM）和二氧化氮（NO）对其情绪和行为以及早期发育的影响。
我们使用了来自母亲及其子女健康研究（MatCH）的数据，这是一项前瞻性纵向研究澳大利亚女性健康纵向研究的 2016/17 年子研究。自 1996 年以来，每年的 PM 和 NO 估计值都来自一个基于土地利用的回归模型。母亲居住地与道路的接近程度被用作交通相关空气污染暴露的替代测量指标。儿童的结果是母亲评估的情绪和行为问题（长处和困难问卷；SDQ，年龄 2-12 岁，n=5471 名儿童）和沟通和大运动技能发育迟缓（年龄和阶段问卷；ASQ，年龄 1-66 个月，n=1265 名儿童）。定义的暴露期为生命早期暴露（“怀孕期间”和“生命的第一年”）和“儿童终生暴露”。将环境空气污染物分为三分位数，并进行逻辑回归，以估计每个儿童结局的比值比（OR），同时调整潜在混杂因素。
与低暴露组相比，所有时期暴露于中高水平 PM 的儿童发生情绪和行为问题以及大运动迟缓的几率更高。儿童终生暴露于中水平 PM（5.9-7.1μg/m）与情绪/行为问题的几率增加 1.27 倍（95%置信区间 1.03，1.57）相关。仅在双污染物模型中，在“生命的第一年”期间暴露于中水平 PM 也存在类似的关联（OR：1.30；1.05，1.60）。然而，没有足够的证据表明 NO 暴露或居住在距主要道路 200 米内与任何暴露期的情绪和行为问题或发育迟缓有关。
我们发现孤立的证据表明，生命早期和儿童期接触 PM 可能与情绪和行为问题以及大运动技能发育迟缓有关，但大多数关联是无效的。由于低暴露环境下的纵向研究数量有限，因此需要进一步进行更多时间上精细的暴露评估的研究。
