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Babies exposed to smog and the fumes from heavy traffic and factories could be at risk of developing autism, with vulnerability greatest before birth.
“Of particular concern is the finding that smaller particles, especially PM2.5 as well as NO (nitrogen oxide) products, can cross the placenta and affect fetal brain development,” according to the researchers, whose work on the subject was published in the journal Brain Medicine in November.
“Air pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides, can trigger complex biological cascades affecting brain development,” the team explained, calling for measures to protect pregnant women in regions of heavy air pollution.
“Different kinds of neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, can be associated with this environmental factor,” said Haitham Amal of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the study’s senior author.
“The timing of exposure appears crucial, with heightened vulnerability during prenatal development and early childhood when critical neurodevelopmental processes occur,” Amal explained.
People with a genetic predisposition to autism are more vulnerable than others to the triggering effects of air pollution. “This interaction between genetic and environmental factors opens new avenues for understanding ASD’s (autism spectrum disorder) complex etiology,” Amal said.
Other research published since last year pointed to links between air pollution and babies’ vulnerabilities to developing asthma, cerebral palsy and mental health issues later in life, while air pollution has over the period been linked to the rising incidence of bacteria resisting antibiotics.
The latest annual findings from the University of Chicago’s Air Quality of Life Index found around 3 in 4 counties to either have not set or to be falling short of meeting national pollution standards.
