Autism tied to air pollution
Jun-20-2013

Children exposed to higher levels of air pollution early in life may have an increased risk of autism, a new study suggests.

In the study, children living in areas with high levels of traffic-generated air pollution during their first year of life were three times more likely to have autism than children living in areas with low levels.

There was also a link between exposure to air pollution in the womb - particularly during late pregnancy - and an increased risk of autism, according to the study.

The findings held even after the researchers accounted for factors possibly related to autism risk, including a child's gender and ethnicity, their parent's education and smoking in pregnancy.

The results add to previous findings linking exposure to air pollution with autism risk

However, the new study shows only an association, not a cause-effect link, and the researchers did not gather information on the children's nutrition, or their exposure to indoor pollutants and secondhand smoke, which could affect the results.

"Although additional research to replicate these findings is needed, the public health implications of these findings are large because air pollution exposure is common and may have lasting neurological effects," the researchers write in the Nov. 26 issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Click the link below for the rest of the article!

Visit Website

Posted by Ken at 4:50 AM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print