Associations of Pre- and Postnatal Air Pollution Exposures with Child Behavioral Problems and Cognitive Performance: A U.S. Multi-Cohort Study

Jun 23, 2022Environmental health perspectives

Links between Air Pollution Before and After Birth and Children's Behavior and Thinking Skills in the U.S.

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Abstract

Higher prenatal exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with increased behavioral problems and decreased IQ in children.

Children exposed to higher levels of prenatal NO2 are likely to have more behavioral issues, with a reported increase of 1.24 in Total Problems score per 2 ppb increase.
Each 2 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 at ages 2-4 years corresponds to a 3.59 unit higher Total Problems score.
A 2.63 point decrease in IQ is associated with each additional 2 ppb of NO2 exposure during prenatal periods.
The associations between pollutant exposure and behavioral problems are generally stronger in girls.
Most predefined critical exposure windows were not confirmed by additional modeling methods.

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BACKGROUND: Population studies support the adverse associations of air pollution exposures with child behavioral functioning and cognitive performance, but few studies have used spatiotemporally resolved pollutant assessments.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated these associations using more refined exposure assessments in 1,967 mother-child dyads from three U.S. pregnancy cohorts in six cities in the ECHO-PATHWAYS Consortium.

METHODS: Pre- and postnatal nitrogen dioxide () and particulate matter (PM)in aerodynamic diameter () exposures were derived from an advanced spatiotemporal model. Child behavior was reported as Total Problems raw score using the Child Behavior Checklist at age 4-6 y. Child cognition was assessed using cohort-specific cognitive performance scales and quantified as the Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (IQ). We fitted multivariate linear regression models that were adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and psychological factors to estimate associations per 2-unit increase in pollutant in each exposure window and examined modification by child sex. Identified critical windows were further verified by distributed lag models (DLMs). NO2 ≤ 2.5μ m PM2.5

RESULTS: Meanandranged fromand, respectively, across pre- and postnatal windows. Average child Total Problems score and IQ were 22.7 [standard deviation (SD): 18.5] and 102.6 (SD: 15.3), respectively. Children with higher prenatalexposures were likely to have more behavioral problems [: 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.39, 2.08; per], particularlyin the first and second trimester. Eachincrease inat age 2-4 y was associated with a 3.59 unit (95% CI: 0.35, 6.84) higher Total Problems score and a 2.63 point (95% CI:,) lower IQ. The associations betweenand Total Problems score were generally stronger in girls. Most predefined windows identified were not confirmed by DLMs. NO2PM2.5 8.4 9 to ppb8.4 9.1 to μ g m / 3NO2 β 2 ppb NO2NO2 2 -μ g m / 3PM2.5 -5.08 -0.17PM2.5

DISCUSSION: Our study extends earlier findings that have raised concerns about impaired behavioral functioning and cognitive performance in children exposed toandand in early life. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10248. NO2PM2.5in utero

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Associations of Pre- and Postnatal Air Pollution Exposures with Child Behavioral Problems and Cognitive Performance: A U.S. Multi-Cohort Study

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