Prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and its constituents with children's BMI Z-score in the first three years: A birth cohort study

Shuang Zhou; Tiantian Li; Na Han; Kai Zhang; Yi Zhang; Qin Li; Yuelong Ji; Jue Liu; Hui Wang; Jianlin Hu; Ting Liu; Hein Raat; Haijun Wang

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.116326

Prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents with children's BMI Z-score in the first three years: A birth cohort study

Environ Res. 2023 Sep 1:232:116326. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116326. Epub 2023 Jun 3.

Authors

Shuang Zhou¹, Tiantian Li², Na Han³, Kai Zhang⁴, Yi Zhang², Qin Li¹, Yuelong Ji¹, Jue Liu⁵, Hui Wang¹, Jianlin Hu⁶, Ting Liu⁶, Hein Raat⁷, Haijun Wang⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Beijing, 100191, China.
² China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China.
³ Tongzhou Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Beijing, 101101, China.
⁴ Department of Environmental Health Sciences School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York One University Place, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
⁶ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
⁷ Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
⁸ Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Beijing, 100191, China. Electronic address: whjun@pku.edu.cn.

PMID: 37271439
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116326

Abstract

Background: Limited studies evaluated the effect of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) on childhood growth and no consensus reached yet. No study explored the effect of prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents on childhood growth in a region with high PM_2.5 levels (>50 μg/m³). The present study aimed to examine the association of prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents with children's BMI Z-score in the first three years.

Methods: The present study was based on a birth cohort in Beijing, China, involving 15,745 mothers with their children who were followed to three years old. We estimated prenatal PM_2.5 and its constituents [organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), sulfate (SO₄^2-), nitrate (NO₃^-), and ammonium (NH₄⁺)] concentrations based on residential addresses at birth. Height (or length) and weight of children were repeatedly measured, and body mass index (BMI) Z-score was calculated at one, two, and three years old. Generalized linear regression and generalized estimating equation were used to examine the associations between prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents with BMI Z-score in the first three years.

Results: Prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents was generally associated with higher BMI Z-score of children aged one, two, and three years. One IQR increase of PM_2.5, OC, EC, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺, and SO₄^2- (21.30 μg/m³, 11.52 μg/m³, 2.40 μg/m³, 8.28 μg/m³, 2.42 μg/m³, and 8.80 μg/m³, respectively) was associated with 0.13 (95%CI: 0.10, 0.16), 0.24 (95%CI: 0.19, 0.29), 0.12 (95%CI: 0.09, 0.16), 0.13 (95%CI: 0.09, 0.17), 0.11 (95%CI: 0.08, 0.13), and 0.24 (95%CI: 0.19, 0.30) increase in BMI Z-score from one to three years old, respectively.

Conclusion: The study suggested that prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents was associated with higher BMI Z-score of children in the first three years. Public health policy for controlling harmful PM_2.5 constituents should be developed to promote child health.

Keywords: Body mass index; Children; Elementary carbon; Organic carbon; Particulate matter; Secondary inorganic constituents.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollutants* / toxicity
Air Pollution* / analysis
Body Mass Index
Carbon / analysis
Child
Child, Preschool
China
Cohort Studies
Environmental Exposure
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Particulate Matter / analysis
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects* / epidemiology

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Carbon