Exposure to traffic-related air pollution may increase the risk of anxiety in children, reveals a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal Environmental Research.
Exposure to air pollution is a well-established global health problem associated with complications for people with asthma and respiratory disease, as well as heart conditions and an increased risk of stroke, and according to the World Health Organization, is responsible for millions of deaths annually.
Breathing Dirty Air may Lead to Kidney Failure
Breathing in unclean air due to increasing air pollution could cause kidney damage with resultant kidney failure according to a recent epidemiologic study.
Advertisement
A new study from researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center looks at the correlation between exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and childhood anxiety, by looking at the altered neurochemistry in pre-adolescents.
"Recent evidence suggests the central nervous system is particularly vulnerable to air pollution, suggesting a role in the etiology of mental disorders, like anxiety or depression," says Kelly Brunst, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the College of Medicine, and lead author on the study.
![Hypertension In Childhood May Be Linked To Air Pollution Exposure In Womb]( "Hypertension In Childhood May Be Linked To Air Pollution Exposure In Womb")
Babies in the womb exposed to high levels of pollution as a result of their mother's breathing in polluted air during pregnancy may be at risk of developing childhood hypertension.
"This is the first study to use neuroimaging to evaluate TRAP exposure, metabolite dysregulation in the brain and generalized anxiety symptoms among otherwise healthy children," says Brunst.
The researchers evaluated imaging of 145 children at an average age of 12 years, looking specifically at the levels of myo-inositol found in the brain through a specialized MRI technique, magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Myo-inositol is a naturally-occurring metabolite mainly found in specialized brain cells known as glial cells, that assists with maintaining cell volume and fluid balance in the brain, and serves as a regulator for hormones and insulin in the body. Increases in myo-inositol levels correlate with an increased population of glial cells, which often occurs in states of inflammation.
They found that, among those exposed to higher levels of recent TRAP, there were significant increases of myo-inositol in the brain, compared to those with lower TRAP exposure. They also observed increases in myo-inositol to be associated with more generalized anxiety symptoms. "In the higher, recent exposure group, we saw a 12% increase in anxiety symptoms," says Brunst.
Brunst noted, however, that the observed increase in reported generalized anxiety symptoms in this cohort of typically developing children was relatively small and are not likely to result in the clinical diagnosis of an anxiety disorder.
"However, I think it can speak to a bigger impact on population health ... that increased exposure to air pollution can trigger the brain's inflammatory response, as evident by the increases we saw in myo-inositol," says Brunst. "This may indicate that certain populations are at an increased risk for poorer anxiety outcomes."
Source: Eurekalert
Hypertension In Childhood May Be Linked To Air Pollution Exposure In Womb
Babies in the womb exposed to high levels of pollution as a result of their mother's breathing in polluted air during pregnancy may be at risk of developing childhood hypertension.
Advertisement
"This is the first study to use neuroimaging to evaluate TRAP exposure, metabolite dysregulation in the brain and generalized anxiety symptoms among otherwise healthy children," says Brunst.
The researchers evaluated imaging of 145 children at an average age of 12 years, looking specifically at the levels of myo-inositol found in the brain through a specialized MRI technique, magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Myo-inositol is a naturally-occurring metabolite mainly found in specialized brain cells known as glial cells, that assists with maintaining cell volume and fluid balance in the brain, and serves as a regulator for hormones and insulin in the body. Increases in myo-inositol levels correlate with an increased population of glial cells, which often occurs in states of inflammation.
They found that, among those exposed to higher levels of recent TRAP, there were significant increases of myo-inositol in the brain, compared to those with lower TRAP exposure. They also observed increases in myo-inositol to be associated with more generalized anxiety symptoms. "In the higher, recent exposure group, we saw a 12% increase in anxiety symptoms," says Brunst.
Brunst noted, however, that the observed increase in reported generalized anxiety symptoms in this cohort of typically developing children was relatively small and are not likely to result in the clinical diagnosis of an anxiety disorder.
"However, I think it can speak to a bigger impact on population health ... that increased exposure to air pollution can trigger the brain's inflammatory response, as evident by the increases we saw in myo-inositol," says Brunst. "This may indicate that certain populations are at an increased risk for poorer anxiety outcomes."
Source: Eurekalert
Air Pollution causes Irregular Periods in Girls
Teenage girls breathing polluted air, unhealthy eating habits, increased weight gain, less physical activity and poor lifestyle can all lead to irregular periods.
Advertisement
 Link Between Traffic-related Air Pollution and Childhood Asthma DiscoveredHeat map that shows the relationship between traffic-related air pollution and childhood asthma has been created by scientists. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Child Health News
Children with amblyopia or lazy eye who underwent digital vision training, showed no appreciable improvement in their eyesight.
In 2022, over 20% of children worldwide lacked adequate calories for growth, with 45+ million showing wasting (underweight for height).
After PCV7 licensure, pneumococcal infection rates in children aged 5+ with sickle cell disease significantly decreased.
Breast milk concentration of certain key proteins indicates abundance of healthy bacteria in babies' guts.
Compared to young children who grow up in rural areas, city kids are more prone to suffer respiratory infections due to environmental factors.
