Exposure to Air Pollution During Pregnancy Would Have Effects On Children's Self-Regulating Behaviors And Social Competency

According to a new study, exposure to common air pollutants known as PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) during prenatal conception may affect the children's self-regulatory skills such as their emotions, impulses and thoughts later on. It will also affect their social behaviors as having problems getting along with others.

Science Daily reports that the study which was published in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry was led by the researchers from Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. The study involved 462 mother-child pairs wherein the researchers examined their maternal blood samples and child tests from pregnancy to early childhood. The maternal exposure to PAH is recognized by the visibility of DNA-PAH in maternal blood samples.

Meanwhile, the children were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist at ages 3 to 5, 7, 9 and 11. The scores that are acquired from the CBL were utilized to produce a composite score on the Deficient Emotional Self-Regulation Scale (DESR). The results showed that children whose mothers had increased contact to PAH during their pregnancy had higher scores DESR. This means there is a reduced capability to self-regulation likened to those whose mothers had lower exposure to PAH. The researchers state that self-regulation is a significant factor that develops the social competence.

"This study indicates that prenatal exposure to air pollution impacts development of self-regulation and as such may underlie the development of many childhood psychopathologies that derive from deficits in self-regulation, such as ADHD, OCD, substances use of disorders and eating disorders," Amy Margolis, the lead author of the study and the assistant professor of medical psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical center and New York State Psychiatric Institute said.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry states that PAH is chemicals that are created during the unfinished burning of gas, wood, oil, coal, garbage, charbroiled meat and tobacco. These may be present in air, soil and water. The exposure to PAH is also related to symptoms of depression, anxiety, inattention, ADHD and behavioral disorders.