Pre- and postnatal asthma triggers cited

Children prenatally exposed to pollutants such as motor vehicle exhaust and postnatally to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) may be more likely to suffer from asthma and related symptoms early in life, claims a study by Columbia University, New York. "A great deal of new evidence suggests that the respiratory system may be vulnerable to damage caused by inhaled environmental agents during the prenatal period," cautions Rachel L. Miller, the study's lead author at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health.

"This study indicates that the combination of exposure to combustion by-products in the womb and to secondhand smoke during infancy can cause significantly more respiratory problems than either exposure on its own," adds Frederica Perera, director of the center.

Researchers studied pregnant Dominican and African-American women, all nonsmokers, who were enrolled as part of a study following mothers and their children for several years after delivery to examine effects of environmental pollutants. The scientists measured each woman's prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through personal air monitors and questionnaires, and distributed additional periodic questionnaires to monitor the children's respiratory health. Results show that those exposed prenatally to PAHs and postnatally to ETS were more likely to cough and wheeze at 12 months. They experienced greater difficulty breathing, as well as higher incidences of asthma symptoms, at 24 months.

People living in high-traffic areas and poor housing especially are at high risk for PAH and ETS exposure. PAHs can come from motor vehicle emissions, residential heating, power generation, and other combustion pollutants.

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