Prospective Association of Air-Purifier Usage during Pregnancy with Infant Neurodevelopment: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study—Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

Matsumura, Kenta; Hamazaki, Kei; Tsuchida, Akiko; Inadera, Hidekuni; The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group,

doi:10.3390/jcm9061924

Open AccessArticle

Prospective Association of Air-Purifier Usage during Pregnancy with Infant Neurodevelopment: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study—Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

by

Kenta Matsumura

^1,*

,

Kei Hamazaki

^1,2,

Akiko Tsuchida

^1,2,

Hidekuni Inadera

^1,2

and

The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group

^3,†

¹

Toyama Regional Center for Japan Environment and Children’s Study, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan

²

Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan

³

JECS Programme Office, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

Membership of JECS Group is provided in the Acknowledgments.

J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9(6), 1924; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9061924

Submission received: 27 April 2020 / Revised: 30 May 2020 / Accepted: 16 June 2020 / Published: 19 June 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Studies on the Impact of Air Pollutants on Human Health)

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Abstract

Fetal exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with infant developmental delay likely via neuroinflammation and prefrontal cortex lesions; however, whether air-purifier usage, which can reduce indoor PM levels, is related to infant developmental delay remains unknown. We therefore examined the prospective relationship between air-purifier usage during pregnancy and infant developmental delay by analyzing 82,441 mother–infant pairs using a simple yes/no questionnaire. Developmental delays at 6 and 12 months were assessed in five areas using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition. A generalized linear mixed model analysis was used to derive adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) while controlling for 20 covariates. The analysis revealed that air-purifier usage was associated with developmental delays in fine motor (AOR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83–0.99) and problem solving (AOR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77–0.90) at 6 months and in communication (AOR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.79–0.93), fine motor (AOR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.82–0.92), problem solving (AOR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77–0.88), and personal–social (AOR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72–0.86) at 12 months. In conclusion, a negative association exists between air-purifier usage during pregnancy and infant neurodevelopmental delay that strengthens with time. Our results outline the potential role of air purifiers in inhibiting infant neurodevelopmental delay.

Keywords: air purifier; air cleaner; developmental delay; dwelling environment; indoor environment; birth cohort

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MDPI and ACS Style

Matsumura, K.; Hamazaki, K.; Tsuchida, A.; Inadera, H.; The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group. Prospective Association of Air-Purifier Usage during Pregnancy with Infant Neurodevelopment: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study—Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9, 1924. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9061924

AMA Style

Matsumura K, Hamazaki K, Tsuchida A, Inadera H, The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group. Prospective Association of Air-Purifier Usage during Pregnancy with Infant Neurodevelopment: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study—Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2020; 9(6):1924. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9061924

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matsumura, Kenta, Kei Hamazaki, Akiko Tsuchida, Hidekuni Inadera, and The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group. 2020. "Prospective Association of Air-Purifier Usage during Pregnancy with Infant Neurodevelopment: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study—Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)" Journal of Clinical Medicine 9, no. 6: 1924. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9061924

APA Style

Matsumura, K., Hamazaki, K., Tsuchida, A., Inadera, H., & The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group. (2020). Prospective Association of Air-Purifier Usage during Pregnancy with Infant Neurodevelopment: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study—Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(6), 1924. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9061924

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Prospective Association of Air-Purifier Usage during Pregnancy with Infant Neurodevelopment: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study—Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

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