Poor air quality has been linked to cognitive problems in babies, according to research. Several studies have found that air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and certain toxic pollutants, can have a negative impact on neurodevelopment in infants and young children.
According to new research, poor air quality may be causing cognitive problems in babies and toddlers. A new study finds a link between poor air quality in India and impaired cognition in infants under the age of two. Without action, the negative impact on children’s long-term brain development may have life-long consequences.
According to new research from the University of East Anglia, poor air quality may be causing cognitive deficits in babies and toddlers. A new study published today finds a link between poor air quality in India and impaired cognition in infants under the age of two. Without action, the negative impact on children’s long-term brain development may have life-long consequences.
“Previous work has shown that poor air quality is linked to cognitive deficits in children, as well as emotional and behavioral problems, which can have a severe impact on families,” said lead researcher Prof John Spencer from UEA’s School of Psychology. Airborne particulate fragments are a major concern because they can travel from the respiratory tract to the brain.”
We found that air quality was poorer in homes that used solid cooking materials like cow dung cake. As a result, efforts to reduce cooking emissions in homes should be a key intervention target.
Prof John Spencer
“Until now, studies had failed to show a link between poor air quality and cognitive problems in babies, when brain development is at its peak and the brain may be especially sensitive to toxins.” This is the first study to show this link. We collaborated with families in rural India to investigate how indoor air quality affects infant cognition.”
The team worked with the Community Empowerment Lab in Lucknow, India, which is a global health research and innovation organization that works with rural communities to engage in collaborative science. They worked with families from various socioeconomic backgrounds in Shivgarh, a rural community in Uttar Pradesh, one of the Indian states most affected by poor air quality.
They assessed the visual working memory and visual processing speed of 215 infants using a specially-designed cognition task from October 2017 to June 2019. On one display, the tots were shown flashing coloured squares that were always the same after each ‘blink’. On a second display, one coloured square changed after each blink.
“This task capitalizes on infants’ tendency to look away from something visually familiar and towards something new,” Prof Spencer said. We wanted to see if infants could detect the changing side and how well they did as the task became more difficult by including more squares on each display.”
The team measured emission levels and air quality in the children’s homes using air quality monitors. They also considered and controlled for family socioeconomic status.
“This research shows for the first time that there is an association between poor air quality and impaired visual cognition in the first two years of life, when brain growth is at its peak,” Prof Spencer said.
“Such impacts could carry forward across years, negatively impacting long-term development. Reversely, our research indicates that global efforts to improve air quality could have benefits to infants’ emerging cognitive abilities. This, in turn, could have a cascade of positive impacts because improved cognition can lead to improved economic productivity in the long term and reduce the burden on healthcare and mental health systems. One key factor the team measured was the cooking fuel commonly used at home.”
“We found that air quality was poorer in homes that used solid cooking materials like cow dung cake,” he added. “As a result, efforts to reduce cooking emissions in homes should be a key intervention target.” In keeping with this goal and the goal of improving maternal and child health, the Government of India has launched a national-level flagship program called the “Ujjwala Yojana” – a scheme that provides LPG fuel to women living below the poverty line across the country.
