Wildfire smoke exposure during pregnancy linked to higher autism risk in children
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of autism in children, with the strongest connection found from exposure during the second and third trimesters, according to a new study co-authored by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Rutgers University, and several other institutions.
The study was published Oct. 26 in JAMA Pediatrics. Lead author was Stefania Papatheodorou, an epidemiologist at Rutgers School of Public Health and an adjunct associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard Chan School. Other Harvard Chan co-authors included Sonia Hernandez-Diaz, Matthew Shupler, Michael Leung, Wanyu Huang, Yaguang Wei, Joel Schwartz, Brent Coull, Marc Weisskopf, and Antonella Zanobetti.
Wildfires have increased in frequency, size, and intensity in the U.S. and globally in recent years. Yet evidence on the connection between prenatal wildfire smoke exposure and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes has been limited. To learn more, researchers analyzed data from 2007 to 2014 from nearly 900,000 mother-child pairs enrolled in Medicaid in the U.S. Among the children, they looked for diagnoses of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They then modeled estimates of weekly levels of wildfire-related PM2.5 for each mother’s residential zip code.
PM2.5 consists of tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs and cause increased inflammation in the body, potentially affecting pregnancy and fetal development.
The researchers found no significant association between wildfire PM2.5 exposure and ADHD. But for autism, they found that each 0.75-microgram-per-cubic-meter increase in the average concentration of wildfire PM2.5 during pregnancy was associated with a 30% higher risk of a subsequent autism diagnosis.
“Wildfire smoke can travel far beyond the communities where fires are burning, and exposure may occur even when smoke is not visible,” said Papatheodorou in an Oct. 27 Rutgers Health article. “Our findings highlight the importance of awareness of wildfire events and their potential effects on air quality during pregnancy.”
Read the Rutgers Health article:
Researchers Tie Exposure to Wildfire Smoke During Pregnancy to Higher Risk of Autism
Read the study abstract:
Prenatal Exposure to Wildfire PM2.5 and Risk of ASD and ADHD in Children Enrolled in Medicaid
