Studies Show Pollution May Link to Autism
Results from "Traffic Related Air Pollution, Particulate Matter, and Autism" also show that nitrogen dioxide and small pollution particles are also linked to autism.
Reports in the Archives of General Psychiatry say that expectant mothers do not need to live by major, high-traffic roads to be affected by the pollution.
However, researchers who conducted the USC/CHLA study found that children whose mothers lived near heavily polluted areas during their pregnancies were more likely to suffer from autism.
Those who were exposed to pollution during their first year of life were also at a greater risk for the disease.
"The work has broad potential public health implications," Dr. Heather Volk, the study's principal investigator and assistant professor of preventative medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine, said.
"We've known for a long time that pollution is bad for our lungs and especially for children. We're now beginning to understand how pollution may affect the brain."
The study is the first to examine how the distance subjects live from car traffic and polluted areas could affect development.
Measures from regional air quality, meteorology and wind statistics were also factored into the research. Results from a previous study focused on subjects living near freeways were also included.
