Is air pollutant exposure during pregnancy associated with infant cerebral palsy risk?

Given the known association between exposure to air pollution and neurodevelopmental disorders involving changes in neurogenesis and brain structure, a recent study published in JAMA Network Open examined the association between prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution during the pregnancy and the risk of cerebral palsy in the infant. Study: Prenatal Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Cerebral Palsy . Image Credit: Ahmet Misirligul/Shutterstock.

com A large body of evidence from animal and human studies indicates that exposure to air pollution, especially fine particulate pollutants, can cause changes in brain structure and cause cognitive developmental delays. In humans, exposure to air pollution has also been linked to autism and disorders related to structural alterations in the brain. Studies have also found that black carbon particles can cross over to the fetus through the placenta, indicating that pollutant particles in maternal circulation can impact the fetus.

Cerebral palsy is a nonprogressive neurodevelopmental disorder that has heterogeneous clinical subtypes characterized largely by physical disability and motor impairments. The disease often also causes impairments in perception, sensation, communication, and cognitions, as well as secondary musculoskeletal impairments and epilepsy. While pre-term birth is known to increase the risk of cerebral palsy, the cause of cerebral palsy in infants born full-term remains unclear.

The increase in cerebral palsy risk a.