Prenatal air pollution exposure and growth and cardio-metabolic risk in preschoolers

Objectives: We investigated the association between outdoor air pollutants exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy, and growth and cardio-metabolic risk at four years of age, and evaluated the mediating role of birth weight. Methods: We included mother-child pairs (N = 1,724) from the Spanish I...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fossati, Serena, Valvi, Damaskini, 1983-, Martínez, David, Cirach, Marta, Estarlich, Marisa, Fernández-Somoano, Ana, Guxens Junyent, Mònica, Iñiguez, Carmen, Irizar, Amaia, Lertxundi, Aitana, Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J., Tamayo-Uria, Ibon, Vioque, Jesus, Tardón, Adonina, Sunyer Deu, Jordi, Vrijheid, Martine
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Repositorio:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/44235
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/44235
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105619
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Air pollution
Prenatal exposure
Childhood growth
Childhood obesity
Particulate matter
Descripción
Sumario:Objectives: We investigated the association between outdoor air pollutants exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy, and growth and cardio-metabolic risk at four years of age, and evaluated the mediating role of birth weight. Methods: We included mother-child pairs (N = 1,724) from the Spanish INMA birth cohort established in 2003–2008. First trimester of pregnancy nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particles (PM2.5) exposure levels were estimated. Height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and lipids were measured at four years of age. Body mass index (BMI) trajectories from birth to four years were identified. Results: Increased PM2.5 exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with decreased z-scores of weight (zWeight) and BMI (zBMI) (zWeight change per interquartile range increase in PM2.5 exposure = −0.12; 95% CI: −0.23, −0.01; zBMI change = −0.12; 95% CI: −0.23, −0.01). Higher NO2 and PM2.5 exposure was associated to a reduced risk of being in a trajectory with accelerated BMI gain, compared to children with the average trajectory. Birth weight partially mediated the association between PM2.5 and zWeight and zBMI. PM2.5 and NO2 were not associated with the other cardio-metabolic risk factors. Conclusions: This comprehensive study of many growth and cardio-metabolic risk related outcomes suggests that air pollution exposure during pregnancy may be associated with delays in physical growth in the early years after birth. These findings imply that pregnancy exposure to air pollutants has a lasting effect on growth after birth and require follow-up at later child ages.