Maternal exposure to PM2.5/BC during pregnancy predisposes children to allergic rhinitis which varies by regions and exclusive breastfeeding

Tianyi Chen; Dan Norback; Qihong Deng; Chen Huang; Hua Qian; Xin Zhang; Yuexia Sun; Tingting Wang; Yinping Zhang; Baizhan Li; Haidong Kan; Lan Wei; Cong Liu; Yanyi Xu; Zhuohui Zhao

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2022.107315

Maternal exposure to PM_2.5/BC during pregnancy predisposes children to allergic rhinitis which varies by regions and exclusive breastfeeding

Environ Int. 2022 Jul:165:107315. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107315. Epub 2022 May 21.

Authors

Tianyi Chen¹, Dan Norback², Qihong Deng³, Chen Huang⁴, Hua Qian⁵, Xin Zhang⁶, Yuexia Sun⁷, Tingting Wang⁸, Yinping Zhang⁹, Baizhan Li¹⁰, Haidong Kan¹¹, Lan Wei¹, Cong Liu¹², Yanyi Xu¹³, Zhuohui Zhao¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
² Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-751, Sweden.
³ School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
⁴ School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
⁵ School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
⁶ Research Center for Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
⁷ Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
⁸ School of Nursing & Health Management, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China.
⁹ Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
¹⁰ Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China.
¹¹ Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment (Fudan University), Shanghai Typhoon Institute/CMA, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai 200030, China; IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; WMO/IGAC MAP-AQ Asian Office Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
¹² Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address: congliu@fudan.edu.cn.
¹³ Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment (Fudan University), Shanghai Typhoon Institute/CMA, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai 200030, China; IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; WMO/IGAC MAP-AQ Asian Office Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China. Electronic address: yanyi_xu@fudan.edu.cn.
¹⁴ Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment (Fudan University), Shanghai Typhoon Institute/CMA, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai 200030, China; IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; WMO/IGAC MAP-AQ Asian Office Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China. Electronic address: zhzhao@fudan.edu.cn.

PMID: 35635966
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107315

Abstract

Background: Increasing prevalence of childhood allergic rhinitis(AR) needs a deeper understanding on the potential adverse effects of early life exposure to air pollution.

Objectives: The main aim was to evaluate the effects of maternal exposure to PM_2.5 and chemical constituents during pregnancy on preschool children's AR, and further to explore the modification effects of regions and exclusive breastfeeding.

Methods: A multi-center population-based study was performed in 6 cities from 3 regions of China in 2011-2012. Maternal exposure to ambient PM_2.5 and main chemical constituents(BC, OM, SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺) during pregnancy was assessed and a longitudinal prospective analysis was applied on preschool children's AR. The modification effects of regions and exclusive breastfeeding were investigated.

Results: A total of 8.8% and 9.8% of children reported doctor-diagnosed allergic rhinitis(DDAR) and current hay fever, respectively, and 48.6% had less than 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. The means of PM_2.5 during pregnancy were 52.7 μg/m³, 70.3 μg/m³ and 76.4 μg/m³ in the east, north and central south of China, respectively. Multilevel log-binomial model regression showed that each interquartile range(IQR) increase of PM_2.5 during pregnancy was associated with an average increase in prevalence ratio (PR) of DDAR by 1.43(95% confidence interval(CI): 1.11, 1.84) and current hay fever by 1.79(95% CI: 1.26, 2.55), respectively. Among chemical constituents, black carbon (BC) had the strongest associations. Across 3 regions, the eastern cities had the highest associations, followed by those in the central south and the north. For those equal to or longer than 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, the associations were significantly reduced.

Conclusions: Children in east of China had the highest risks of developing AR per unit increase of maternal exposure to PM_2.5 during pregnancy, especially BC constituent. Remarkable decline was found in association with an increase in breastfeeding for ≥6 months, in particular in east of China.

Keywords: Air pollutants; Breastfeeding; Chemical constituents; Modification; Pregnancy; Prevalence ratio.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Breast Feeding
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Maternal Exposure / adverse effects
Particulate Matter / analysis
Pregnancy
Rhinitis, Allergic* / epidemiology
Rhinitis, Allergic* / etiology
Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal* / chemically induced
Soot / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Soot