Author: Guxens, Monica; Ghassabian, Akhgar; Gong, Tong; Garcia-Esteban, Raquel; Porta, Daniela; Giorgis-Allemand, Lise; Almqvist, Catarina; Aranbarri, Aritz; Beelen, Rob; Badaloni, Chiara; Cesaroni, Giulia; de Nazelle, Audrey; Estarlich, Marisa; Forastiere, Francesco; Forns, Joan; Gehring, Ulrike; Ibarluzea, Jesus; Jaddoe, Vincent W; Korek, Michal; Lichtenstein, Paul; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Rebagliato, Marisa; Slama, Remy; Tiemeier, Henning; Verhulst, Frank C; Volk, Heather E; Pershagen, Göran; Brunekreef, Bert; Sunyer, Jordi
Department: Inst för medicinsk epidemiologi och biostatistik / Dept of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Abstract
Background: Prenatal exposure to air pollutants has been suggested as a possible etiologic factor for the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder.
Objectives: We aimed to assess whether prenatal air pollution exposure is associated with childhood autistic traits in the general population.
Methods: Ours was a collaborative study of four European population-based birth/child cohorts— CATSS (Sweden), Generation R (the Netherlands), GASPII (Italy), and INMA (Spain). Nitrogen oxides (NO2, NOx) and particulate matter (PM) with diameters of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), ≤ 10 μm (PM10), and between 2.5 and 10 μm (PMcoarse), and PM2.5 absorbance were estimated for birth addresses by land-use regression models based on monitoring campaigns performed between 2008 and 2011. Levels were extrapolated back in time to exact pregnancy periods. We quantitatively assessed autistic traits when the child was between 4 and 10 years of age. Children were classified with autistic traits within the borderline/clinical range and within the clinical range using validated cut-offs. Adjusted cohort-specific effect estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analysis.
Results: A total of 8,079 children were included. Prenatal air pollution exposure was not associated with autistic traits within the borderline/clinical range (odds ratio = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.81, 1.10 per each 10‑μg/m3 increase in NO2 pregnancy levels). Similar results were observed in the different cohorts, for the other pollutants, and in assessments of children with autistic traits within the clinical range or children with autistic traits as a quantitative score.
Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to NO2 and PM was not associated with autistic traits in children from 4 to 10 years of age in four European population-based birth/child cohort studies.
Institution:
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Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Citation: Environ Health Perspect. 2016 Jan;124(1):133-40.
Publishing journal: Environmental Health Perspectives
Eprint status: Peer Reviewed
Version: Published
Issue date: 2017-03-14
Sponsorship:
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EU’s Seventh Framework Program, ESCAPE, FP7/2007-2011-GA#211250
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Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte)
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Formas, Forte and Vinnova cross-disciplinary research program
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Swedish Research Council, SIMSAM 340-2013-5867
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HKH Kronprinsessan Lovisas förening för barnasjukvård
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Strategic Research Program in Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet
Rights:
CC0 1.0 Universal
Publication year: 2016