Postnatal exposure to PM2.5 and weight trajectories in early childhood. Issue 1 (16th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vanoli, Jacopo; Coull, Brent A.; Ettinger de Cuba, Stephanie; Fabian, Patricia M.; Carnes, Fei; Massaro, Marisa A.; Poblacion, Ana; Bellocco, Rino; Kloog, Itai; Schwartz, Joel; Laden, Francine; Zanobetti, Antonella
• Is Part Of: Environmental epidemiology. Volume 6:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: e181
• Publication Date: 2022-02-16
• Subjects: Children's weight trajectories -- Fine particulate matter -- Low-income families -- Postnatal exposure -- Varying coefficient models; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; 614.4
• DOI: 10.1097/EE9.0000000000000181
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2474-7882

Abstract

Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Abstract : Background: Inconsistent evidence has assessed the impact of air pollution exposure on children's growth trajectories. We investigated the role of 90-day average postnatal fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) exposures by estimating the magnitude of effects at different ages, and the change in child weight trajectory by categories of exposure. Methods: We obtained weight values from electronic health records at each hospital visit (males = 1859, females = 1601) from birth to 6 years old children recruited into the Boston-based Children's HealthWatch cohort (2009–2014). We applied mixed models, adjusting for individual and maternal confounders using (1) varying-coefficient models allowing for smooth non-linear interaction between age and PM2.5, (2) factor-smooth interaction between age and PM2.5 quartiles. Additionally, we stratified by sex and low birthweight (LBW) status (≤2500 g). Results: Using varying-coefficient models, we found that PM2.5 significantly modified the association between age and weight in males, with a positive association in children younger than 3 years and a negative association afterwards. In boys, for each 10 µg/m 3 increase in PM2.5 we found a 2.6% increase (95% confidence interval = 0.8, 4.6) in weight at 1 year of age and a −0.6% (95% confidence interval = −3.9, 2.9) at 5 years. We found similar but smaller changes in females, and no differences comparing growth trajectories across quartiles of PM2.5 . Most of the effects were in LBW children and null for normal birthweight children. Conclusions: This study suggests that medium-term postnatal PM2.5 may modify weight trajectories nonlinearly in young children, and that LBW babies are more susceptible than normal-weight infants.