Prenatal air pollution linked to lower language and motor scores

What the study found: Higher exposure to air pollution during pregnancy was associated with lower language scores in toddlerhood, and higher exposure across pregnancy was associated with lower motor scores in preterm infants.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors conclude that maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is a potentially modifiable risk factor, and that reducing exposure may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes.
What the researchers tested: The researchers examined prenatal exposure to air pollution across gestation by trimester, estimated using maternal residential postcode, and assessed cognitive, language, and motor abilities with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition, in children aged 17.3 to 34.5 months.
What worked and what didn't: Higher first-trimester exposure to all pollutants was associated with lower language scores in toddlerhood after adjustment for several factors. Higher exposure across gestation was associated with lower motor scores in preterm infants after adjustment for several factors; the abstract does not report a similar association for cognitive scores.
What to keep in mind: The abstract does not describe limitations beyond the adjusted factors used in the analyses. The summary provided here is limited to the findings and scope stated in the abstract.

Key points

• Higher first-trimester exposure to air pollution was associated with lower language scores in toddlerhood.
• Higher exposure across gestation was associated with lower motor scores in preterm infants.
• The study assessed children aged 17.3 to 34.5 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition.
• Exposure was estimated by trimester using maternal residential postcode.
• The authors describe prenatal air pollution exposure as a potentially modifiable risk factor.