Exposure To Traffic-Related Air Pollution In Early Years Linked To Hyperactivity

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Article Date: 23 May 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Exposure To Traffic-Related Air Pollution In Early Years Linked To Hyperactivity

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The research is detailed in a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed open access journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, an institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The research was conducted by faculty members from the UC College of Medicine's Department of Environmental Health in collaboration with Cincinnati Children's. Nicholas Newman, DO, director of the Pediatric Environmental Health and Lead Clinic at Cincinnati Children's, was the study's first author.

"There is increasing concern about the potential effects of traffic-related air pollution on the developing brain," Newman says. "This impact is not fully understood due to limited epidemiological studies.

"To our knowledge, this is the largest prospective cohort with the longest follow-up investigating early life exposure to traffic-related air pollution and neurobehavioral outcomes at school age." Scientists believe that early life exposures to a variety of toxic substances are important in the development of problems later in life.

Newman and his colleagues collected data on traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) from the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS), a long-term epidemiological study examining the effects of traffic particulates on childhood respiratory health and allergy development. Funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, CCAAPS is led by Grace LeMasters, PhD, of the environmental health department. Study participants - newborns in the Cincinnati metropolitan area from 2001 through 2003 - were chosen based on family history and their residence being either near or far from a major highway or bus route.

Children were followed from infancy to age 7, when parents completed the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition (BASC-2), assessing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related symptoms including attention problems, aggression, conduct problems and atypical behavior. Of the 762 children initially enrolled in the study, 576 were included in the final analysis at 7 years of age.

Results showed that children who were exposed to the highest third amount of TRAP during the first year of life were more likely to have hyperactivity scores in the "at risk" range when they were 7 years old. The "at risk" range for hyperactivity in children means that they need to be monitored carefully because they are at risk for developing clinically important symptoms.

"Several biological mechanisms could explain the association between hyperactive behaviors and traffic-related air pollution," Newman says, including narrowed blood vessels in the body and toxicity in the brain's frontal cortex.

Newman notes that the higher air pollution exposure was associated with a significant increase in hyperactivity only among those children whose mothers had greater than a high school education. Mothers with higher education may expect higher achievement, he says, affecting the parental report of behavioral concerns.

"The observed association between traffic-related air pollution and hyperactivity may have far-reaching implications for public health," Newman says, noting that studies have shown that approximately 11 percent of the U.S. population lives within 100 meters of a four-lane highway and that 40 percent of children attend school within 400 meters of a major highway.

"Traffic-related air pollution is one of many factors associated with changes in neurodevelopment, but it is one that is potentially preventable."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our adhd section for the latest news on this subject. LeMasters, Patrick Ryan, PhD, Linda Levin, PhD, David Bernstein, MD, Gurjit Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD, James Lockey, PhD, Manuel Villareal, MD, Tiina Reponen, PhD, Sergey Grinshpun, PhD, Heidi Sucharew, PhD, and Kim Dietrich, PhD, were co-authors of the study.
Funding was provided by NIEHS and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
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Dental health for small children - Causes and treatment of Early Childhood Caries (ECC)

For parents of children aged less than 1 year, which may not be aware of a real threat to the dental health of their children, such as ECC, this article focuses on explaining the nature of this condition and the advice on how to tackle Early Childhood Caries. By understanding its causes and applying methods of rapid treatment, you can help prevent painful cavities develop and retain the smiles on your precious toddlers intact. Keep reading to learn how!

ECC is the acronym for a medical condition called Early Childhood Caries, which may occur in infants - Yes, even if less than 12 months! However, investigations held by the State health institutions reveals shocking facts about to ignore issues of tooth decay which are common in infants, which can have very serious consequences as long term weakening of their affected teeth or teeth development, if the parents.

In fact, the AAPD (the United States enabling authority for dental care child, known as the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) reports of the percentages as high as 90 to some populations within segment "head start" for the case of the ECC. They describe certain precautions for parents with babies and small children to prevent effects debilitating all-out ECC, which are produced below for your convenience.

Causes and treatment of the ECC

The common reason for the development of the ECC is when a bottle infants or toddlers is accustomed to drink sugary drinks before sleep and falls asleep with the teats to the mouth. It can be juice, milk or other children sweet drink which may result in the transfer of bottle caries, the child which resulted in a severe syndrome of bottle of milk.

It should be noted by parents keen on the safeguarding of their small, it's a fairly common dental health care threat that affects 3 years and most small children. Thus, appropriate weaning and the practice of drinking a Cup after 1 year of age and the avoidance of instances of bottle-in-mouth night in particular, is recommended.

In the light of the day, when the child sleeps for a shorter time and is awake most of the time, the constant flow of saliva allows any acidic built on the surface of the tooth or teeth to get carried away, but it is considerably reduced when a child is asleep, which is more likely at night.

4 top front teeth are more likely to display the ECC symptoms, which are distinguished by chalky white marks caused by acids decalcify them. Not only to make these unsightly Aspect, but also if left unchecked, can be very painful for the child and prevent good holding space develops in his mouth for the future of the permanent teeth.

To eliminate the chances of having your child wear braces and other problems as dental infections, abscesses, etc., it is suggested that parents remain alert to small children to fall asleep with a bottle of milk, formulas or sweet liquid in their mouth.

For a child crying excessively, interim measures between sweet bottle feeds may be provided by fresh water in a bottle. Also, never give a small child a pacifier is dipped in sweet products. Finally, on the observation of any red, swollen or unusual markings on the mouth of your child, immediately consult a pediatrician dental.

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Early Brain Therapy May Help Movement in Dystonia Patients

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- For people with the movement disorder dystonia, starting deep brain stimulation therapy early in the course of the disease provides better results, according to a new study.

Dystonia is a potentially crippling disorder that causes muscles to contract, resulting in involuntary twisting of affected areas of the body. Deep brain stimulation is approved in the United States for certain treatment-resistant dystonias.

The study included 44 patients, aged 10 to 59 years, with generalized dystonia who received a deep brain stimulation device, which consists of electrical leads implanted in the brain and an electrical pulse generator placed near the collarbone. The device controls abnormal nerve signals that cause uncontrolled muscle contractions in people with the disorder.

After receiving the device, all of the patients experienced overall improvement in their ability to control muscles and movements (motor function). After one year, there were significant improvements in all ratings of affected body regions and functions such as speech, with the exception of three patients whose symptoms worsened somewhat between years one and three.

Additional improvements were seen after three years, according to the study published in the March issue of the Journal of Neurology.

The investigators also found that patients who were over the age of 27 years when they received the device had an additional 10 percent average improvement between years one and three. Before receiving the device, 32 patients were taking prescription drugs, but one year after getting the device that number fell by 52 percent, and after three years it fell by 80 percent.

"Our data suggest that patients who begin treatment earlier in the disease process may expect a better general outcome than those with longer disease duration. Also, age at surgery appears to influence the time necessary to achieve the best clinical response, meaning that older patients need more time before reaching their potential benefit," senior author Dr. Michele Tagliati, director of the Movement Disorders Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said in a journal news release.

Tagliati and other study authors have financial ties with Medtronic Inc., which makes deep brain stimulation devices.

More information

We Move has more about dystonia.

-- Robert Preidt

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