A study finds no relationship between exposure to common air pollutants during pregnancy and symptoms of depression, anxiety or aggression in children
An international study in which scientists from the Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA and the University of Granada (UGR) have participated have not found evidence that, contrary to what other similar investigations point out, there is a relationship between exposure during pregnancy and the first years of life to common air pollutants (nitrogen oxides, fine and ultrafine particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and the presence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and aggressiveness in children aged between 7 and 11 years .
The investigation, published in the journal Environment InternationalThis is an epidemiological study in which data from a large sample of children (13.182) participating in 8 European birth cohorts, including the Childhood and Environment cohort (INMA), have been analyzed.
The INMA study includes children from different geographical areas of Spain, including Granada. Several studies carried out in recent years suggest that exposure to air pollution during the fetal period and the first years of life could pose a risk for the correct neurodevelopment of children, and has been associated with negative effects on cognitive and motor functions and with the risk of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Under this hypothesis, this work examines the possible relationship between early exposure to air pollutants and the presence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and aggressiveness, common behavioral and emotional problems but little studied so far in relation to fetal and infant exposure to pollution. atmospheric.
Environmental measurements
The levels of exposure to air pollutants were determined by environmental measurements in the children's areas of residence and subsequent application of spatial analysis techniques. Information on symptoms of depression, anxiety and aggressiveness was obtained through questionnaires completed by the parents.
“Among all the children evaluated, a total of 1.108 children presented symptoms of depression and anxiety, while 870 presented symptoms of aggression. In general, the study did not observe any significant association between prenatal or postnatal exposure and the risk of presenting symptoms of depression, anxiety or aggressiveness for any of the air pollutants evaluated”, he points out. Carmen Freire Warden, Researcher of the Environmental Medicine research group of the ibs.GRANADA and one of the authors of the work.
Given that other studies have shown a relationship between exposure to air pollution and the risk of emotional and behavioral problems in adults, the absence of an association in this study could be due to the fact that the population studied may be too young (7-11 years) to have developed such problems.
"This alerts us to the need to carry out new studies of this type, but in adolescents or young adults in order to corroborate the proposed hypothesis," concludes Freire.
Bibliographic reference:
Jorcano et al. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution and emotional and aggressive symptoms in children from 8 European birth cohorts. About Int. 2019; 131: 104927.