Developmental effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and material hardship among inner-city children

Abstract

Because of the growing concern that exposures to airborne pollutants have adverse effects on fetal growth and early childhood neurodevelopment, and the knowledge that such exposures are more prevalent in disadvantaged populations, we assessed the joint impact of prenatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and material hardship on the 2-year cognitive development of inner-city children, adjusted for other sociodemographic risks and chemical exposures. The purpose was to evaluate the neurotoxicant effects of ETS among children experiencing different degrees of socioeconomic disadvantage, within a minority population. The sample did not include children exposed to active maternal smoking in the prenatal period. Results showed significant adverse effects of prenatal residential ETS exposure and the level of material hardship on 2-year cognitive development, as well as a significant interaction between material hardship and ETS, such that children with both ETS exposure and material hardship exhibited the greatest cognitive deficit. In addition, children with prenatal ETS exposure were twice as likely to be classified as significantly delayed, as compared with nonexposed children. Postnatal ETS exposure in the first 2 years of life did not contribute independently to the risk of developmental delay, over and above the risk posed by prenatal ETS exposure. The study concluded that prenatal exposure to ETS in the home has a negative impact on 2-year cognitive development, and this effect is exacerbated under conditions of material hardship in this urban minority sample.

Impact of Prenatal Chlorpyrifos Exposure on Neurodevelopment in the First 3 Years of Life Among Inner-City Children

“…66,67 Children who are exposed prenatally to well-studied toxicants (such as lead, ETS, or cocaine) exhibit the same kind of decline in cognitive scores during the early preschool years as seen among low-income children. [68][69][70][71] This report is the first to show that prenatal organophosphate exposure generates a similar pattern. It is not yet known whether children from low-income families have a more difficult time than less-deprived children in recovering from the effects of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure or whether additional stimulation can compensate for some of the adverse effects of early toxic exposures on cognitive development in low-income populations.…”

Time–activity patterns of pregnant women and changes during the course of pregnancy

“…For example, there is evidence of links between adverse birth outcomes and exposure to outdoor air pollution (Ritz and Yu, 1999), indoor air pollution (Rauh et al, 2004) and pesticides (Whyatt et al, 2003). Exposure to contaminants is often evaluated through the use of location-based activity pattern data to establish when and where people spend their time.…”

Intake of the First-Generation Anti-Histamines in Early Childhood May Have an Adverse Effect on Cognitive Function. Population Based Pharmacoepidemiologic Study in Non-Asthamtic Children

“…For example, material hardship has been demonstrated to modify the neurotoxic effects of tobacco smoke in children in the study done by Rauh et al [22]. The way in which maternal behavior may affect the development of children was discussed in a recently published paper by Surkan et al [23].…”