Health & Medicine
Air Pollution and Psychological Distress During Pregnancy Linked to Behavioral Problems in Children
Benita Matilda
First Posted: Oct 07, 2013 09:01 AM EDT
A new study uncovers the impact of maternal stress and prenatal exposure to air pollution on the child's behavioral development.
The study conducted by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental at the Mailman School of Public Health found that maternal psychological stress combined with air pollution exposure during pregnancy has an adverse impact on the behavioral development of children.
The study links maternal demoralization or psychological distress to anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior, externalizing problems, breaking rules and attention problems.
The researchers noted that the effects of demoralization were more in children with higher levels of prenatal exposure to PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in air pollution.
PAH are those air pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere through combustion sources like coal fired power plants, tobacco smoke and residential heating.
"This study shows that the combination of physical and psychosocial stressors during fetal development magnifies the effect of each exposure," lead author Frederica Perera, director of the Center, said in a statement. "The findings are of concern because attention problems and anxiety and depression have been shown to affect peer relationships, academic performance, and future well- being of children."
The study took place at Krakow, Poland, where coal burning is a major air pollution source. Although Krakow has relatively high ambient concentrations of PAH from coal-burning and vehicle emissions, levels are within the range seen in many other urban areas worldwide.
The study, led by Dr. Perera and Wieslaw Jedrychowski , MD, PhD, from the University of Krakow, is the first to examine the link between levels of PAH inhaled by the mother during pregnancy, maternal demoralization and behavioral problems in childhood.
The study involved 248 mother child pairs from pregnancy through 9 years of age. During pregnancy personal air sampling was done to estimate the prenatal PAH exposure. With the help of the Child Behavioural Checklist, behavioral problems were assessed. Researchers estimated the maternal demoralization based on the socioeconomic factors.
The findings were documented in the journal Pediatrics.
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First Posted: Oct 07, 2013 09:01 AM EDT
A new study uncovers the impact of maternal stress and prenatal exposure to air pollution on the child's behavioral development.
The study conducted by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental at the Mailman School of Public Health found that maternal psychological stress combined with air pollution exposure during pregnancy has an adverse impact on the behavioral development of children.
The study links maternal demoralization or psychological distress to anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior, externalizing problems, breaking rules and attention problems.
The researchers noted that the effects of demoralization were more in children with higher levels of prenatal exposure to PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in air pollution.
PAH are those air pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere through combustion sources like coal fired power plants, tobacco smoke and residential heating.
"This study shows that the combination of physical and psychosocial stressors during fetal development magnifies the effect of each exposure," lead author Frederica Perera, director of the Center, said in a statement. "The findings are of concern because attention problems and anxiety and depression have been shown to affect peer relationships, academic performance, and future well- being of children."
The study took place at Krakow, Poland, where coal burning is a major air pollution source. Although Krakow has relatively high ambient concentrations of PAH from coal-burning and vehicle emissions, levels are within the range seen in many other urban areas worldwide.
The study, led by Dr. Perera and Wieslaw Jedrychowski , MD, PhD, from the University of Krakow, is the first to examine the link between levels of PAH inhaled by the mother during pregnancy, maternal demoralization and behavioral problems in childhood.
The study involved 248 mother child pairs from pregnancy through 9 years of age. During pregnancy personal air sampling was done to estimate the prenatal PAH exposure. With the help of the Child Behavioural Checklist, behavioral problems were assessed. Researchers estimated the maternal demoralization based on the socioeconomic factors.
The findings were documented in the journal Pediatrics.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone