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 childās BMI compares to others of the same age and sex.
āThese 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 childrenās risk for obesity,ā said Jiawen Liao, postdoctoral research associate at the Keck School of Medicine, University of South California (USC).