New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Greater exposure to air pollution particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the three months before conception can raise the risk of childhood obesity to two years after birth, according to a study on Thursday.
Past research has linked air pollution exposure during pregnancy to a broad range of health problems in children, including respiratory issues and a higher risk for chronic diseases such as obesity and heart problems.
But, the new study by an international team of researchers from the US and China focused on the preconception period — typically defined as the three months before a pregnancy begins.
Environmental exposures during this timeframe can affect the health of sperm and eggs, which are in their final stages of growth, said the team, in the paper published in the journal Environmental Research.
The study included 5,834 mother-child pairs recruited from maternity clinics in Shanghai.
The findings revealed that increased exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 before pregnancy can spike BMI or BMIZ — a standardised score that shows how a child’s BMI compares to others of the same age and sex.
“These findings imply that the three months before conception are important, and that people who plan to bear children should consider taking measures to lower their air pollution exposure to reduce their children’s risk for obesity,” said Jiawen Liao, postdoctoral research associate at the Keck School of Medicine, University of South California (USC).
The researchers found that a higher level of exposure to PM2.5 during the preconception period was associated with a 0.078 increase in child BMIZ at age two, while a higher level of exposure to PM10 was associated with a 0.093 kg/m2 increase in BMI at age two.
From six months onward, children with higher preconception exposure to all three pollutants had higher weight, BMI, and BMIZ growth rates.
While “the magnitude is small, but because air pollution is widespread and everybody is exposed, the risk of air pollution exposure on children’s obesity risk may be substantial and may start before their mothers’ pregnancy,” said Zhanghua Chen, assistant professor at the Keck School.
The study is observational, and more research is needed to determine the risk. Yet the findings suggest that people can take action now to minimise potential harm to themselves and their children, the researchers said.
–IANS
rvt/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
