Effects of air pollution, land-use type, and maternal mental health on child development in the first two years of life in the Greater Taipei area

• Published in: Environmental research 2021-06, Vol.197, p.111168, Article 111168
• Main Authors: Zou, Ming-Lun, Jiang, Chuen-Bin, Chen, Yi-Hua, Wu, Chih-Da, Candice Lung, Shih-Chun, Chien, Ling-Chu, Kallawicha, Kraiwuth, Yang, Yu-Ting, Lo, Yu-Chun, Chao, Hsing Jasmine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollutants; Fine motor; Gross motor; Language; Social adaptation behaviors
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111168

Few studies have investigated the associations of child development with air pollution, land-use type, and maternal mental health simultaneously. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of exposure to air pollutants during several critical periods of life, with adjustment for land-use type and maternal mental status, on child development at 6, 12, and 24 months of age in the Greater Taipei area. Participants were selected from an ongoing Taiwanese birth cohort study. We analyzed the data of the participants who had been recruited from January 2011 to April 2014. Self-administered standardized questionnaires were used to collect information on sociodemographic factors, infant development and health, maternal mental status, etc. Air pollution levels in pre- and postnatal periods were estimated using a spatial interpolation technique (ordinary kriging) at children's residential addresses. Land-use types around participants' homes were evaluated using buffer analysis. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to examine the relationships between child development delay and environmental factors. In total, 228, 361, and 441 families completed child development forms at 6, 12, and 24 months of age, respectively. Our results indicated that prenatal exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm and O3 and postnatal exposure to NO2 were negatively associated with child development. Traffic-related land-use types, gas stations, and power generation areas around participants’ homes were also adversely correlated with child development. Moreover, poor maternal mental health was associated with child development delay. Prenatal exposure and postnatal exposure to air pollution were associated with development delay in children under 2 years of age, specifically those under 1 year of age, even after adjustment for land-use type and maternal mental status. Living environment is critical for the development of children under 2 years of age. [Display omitted] •Prenatal exposure to PM10 and O3 was correlated with development delay.•Postnatal NO2 exposure was negatively associated with social adaptation behaviors.•Traffic-related and power-generation lands were harmful to child development.•Poor maternal mental health was associated with child development delay.