THE ESSENTIAL
- 40,000 people die each year from the consequences of air pollution, according to Public Health France.
- As with adults, pollution has both short- and long-term health consequences for children.
- The infant brain is vulnerable to air pollution not only during pregnancy, but also during infancy.
A new studypublished in the journal Environmental Pollution, adds yet another shadow to the already dark picture of the effects of air pollution on the health of children. Previous research had recently shown that it increased their risk of developing asthmaof the mental disordersof autism and heart problems. This time, it is its impact on the brain that is singled out. Exposure to air pollution would significantly alter the size and structure of children’s brains.
Exposure to fine particles changes the size of an area of the brain
Air pollution has a big impact on brain connections in children during the first 8.5 years of life, but their brains are already going through big changes before the age of five. Researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) add that the infant brain is vulnerable to air pollution not only during pregnancy, but also during infancy.
“The innovative aspect of the present study is that it identified periods of sensitivity to air pollution. We measured exposure using a finer time scale by analyzing data months per month, unlike previous studies”said Anne-Claire Binter, researcher at ISGlobal and lead author of the study, in a communiqué.
Exposure to fine particles affected the volume of the putamen, an area of the brain involved in motor function, learning, among other essential functions. The more a child was exposed to fine particles, especially during the first two years of life, the larger the size of the putamen during preadolescence. “A larger putamen has been associated with certain psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder)”, explains Anne-Claire Binter.
Air pollution causes changes in the white matter of the brain
Higher levels of air pollution were also correlated with changes in the white matter microstructures of children’s brains. White matter areas are involved in cognitive processes like learning and problem solving. Previous studies have linked abnormal changes in white matter structures to symptoms of depression, anxiety and autism spectrum disorders.
To achieve these results, Anne-Claire Binter’s team analyzed data from 3,515 children. The researchers estimated the daily levels of pollution (including indoor air pollution) that each child was exposed to during their mother’s pregnancy and until they were 8.5 years old. . When the children were between 9 and 12 years old, they underwent brain MRI scans to examine the structural connectivity and volume of various brain structures.