Principal investigator
Tanya Alderete
Funding
National Institutes of Health (NIH); The Gerber Foundation; Health Effects Institute
Collaboration + support
Integrative Physiology; Emory University; University of California, Los Angeles
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When pregnant moms breathe dirty air, it may adversely impact their baby鈥檚 brain, CU Boulder research suggests.听
The study followed 161 healthy Latino mother-infant pairs, using government data to calculate mothers鈥� prenatal exposure to airborne pollutants. At age 2, toddlers who had been exposed prenatally to more inhalable particulate matter scored significantly lower on cognitive tests. Exposure in mid-to-late pregnancy, when key sensory and motor brain circuits form, proved particularly detrimental.听
Previous research suggests inhaled pollutants may come into direct contact with the fetus, causing inflammation that can disrupt neurodevelopment.听
Racial and ethnic minorities and low-income populations are more likely to be exposed to unhealthy air.听
鈥淥ur findings highlight the importance of addressing the impact of pollution on disadvantaged communities,鈥� said author Tanya Alderete, assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology.听