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Maternal and Child Health Impacts of Environmental Exposures
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Maternal and Child Health Impacts of Environmental Exposures

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 21101

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kristina W. Whitworth

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
Interests: environmental epidemiology; reproductive health; perinatal health; child neurodevelopment; maternal and child health; air pollution; persistent organic pollutants; metals; biomarker-based epidemiology
Dr. Todd A. Jusko

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departments of Public Health Sciences and Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
Interests: environmental epidemiology; children’s environmental health; immunotoxicology; child neurodevelopment; persistent organic pollutants; metals; biomarker-based epidemiology
Dr. Jesús Ibarluzea

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Health Department of Basque Government, Sub-directorate of Public Health of Gipuzkoa, 20013 San Sebastian, Spain
Interests: environmental exposures; urban characteristics; biomarkers; environmental epidemiology; environmental health; risk perception; neuropsychological development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue related to Maternal and Child Health Impacts of Environmental Exposures in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH). The focus of this Special Issue is on epidemiologic associations between environmental exposures and maternal and child health outcomes.  Environmental exposures of interest include, but are not limited to: air pollution, noise, the built environment, persistent and non-persistent chemical toxicants, endocrine disrupting chemicals, and metals. Though we will accept high quality studies investigating the range of maternal and child health outcomes, we are especially interested in studies investigating: maternal complications during pregnancy, fetal growth, preterm birth, child neurodevelopment, and immune function. We are also particularly interested in studies that address novel exposure—outcome associations or utilize cutting-edge methods to overcome limitations common in the field, such as:

  • The role of environment in maternal and child health inequities;
  • The complex interplay between chemical and non-chemical stressors;
  • The impact of exposure mixtures;
  • Exposome-based exposure assessment;
  • Identification of sensitive windows of vulnerability;

Dr. Kristina W. Whitworth
Dr. Todd A. Jusko
Dr. Jesús Ibarluzea
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Environmental epidemiology
  • Maternal and child health
  • Perinatal epidemiology
  • Fetal growth
  • Child physical development
  • Child neurodevelopment
  • Immune function
  • Exposure mixtures
  • Exposome

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1000 KiB  
Article
Prenatal Exposure to Cigarette Smoke and Anogenital Distance at 4 Years in the INMA-Asturias Cohort
by Miguel García-Villarino, Rocío Fernández-Iglesias, Isolina Riaño-Galán, Cristina Rodríguez-Dehli, Izaro Babarro, Ana Fernández-Somoano and Adonina Tardón
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4774; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094774 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3038
Abstract
Smoking by women is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, low birth weight, infertility, and prolonged time to pregnancy. Anogenital distance (AGD) is a sensitive biomarker of prenatal androgen and antiandrogen exposure. We investigated the effect of smoking [...] Read more.
Smoking by women is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, low birth weight, infertility, and prolonged time to pregnancy. Anogenital distance (AGD) is a sensitive biomarker of prenatal androgen and antiandrogen exposure. We investigated the effect of smoking and passive smoke exposure during pregnancy on anogenital distance in offspring at 4 years in the INMA-Asturias cohort (Spain). Women were interviewed during pregnancy to collect information on tobacco consumption, and anogenital distance was measured in 381 children: Anoscrotal distance in boys and anofourchetal distance in girls. We also measured maternal urinary cotinine levels at 32 weeks of pregnancy. We constructed linear regression models to analyze the association between prenatal smoke exposure and anogenital distance and adjusted the models by relevant covariates. Reported prenatal smoke exposure was associated with statistically significant increased anogenital index (AGI), both at week 12 of pregnancy (β = 0.31, 95% confidence interval: 0.00, 0.63) and at week 32 of pregnancy (β = 0.31, 95% confidence interval: 0.00, 0.63) in male children, suggesting altered androgenic signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health Impacts of Environmental Exposures)
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17 pages, 1913 KiB  
Article
Environmental Lead Exposure and Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Diagnoses in Young Children: A Test-Negative Case-Control Study
by Marina Oktapodas Feiler, Mary T. Caserta, Edwin van Wijngaarden, Kelly Thevenet-Morrison, Dwight J. Hardy, Yan Victoria Zhang, Ann M. Dozier, B. Paige Lawrence and Todd A. Jusko
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(20), 7625; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207625 - 19 Oct 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2338
Abstract
Experimental and epidemiological evidence suggests that environmental toxicants may influence susceptibility to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The objective of the present study was to estimate the association between blood lead concentrations and the odds of child influenza or RSV infection. A [...] Read more.
Experimental and epidemiological evidence suggests that environmental toxicants may influence susceptibility to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The objective of the present study was to estimate the association between blood lead concentrations and the odds of child influenza or RSV infection. A test-negative, case-control study was conducted among 617 children, <4 years of age, tested for influenza/RSV from 2012–2017 in Rochester, NY. There were 49 influenza cases (568 controls) and 123 RSV cases (494 controls). Blood lead concentrations reported in children’s medical records were linked with influenza/RSV lab test results. Covariables were collected from medical records, birth certificates, and U.S. census data. In this sample, evidence of an association between blood lead levels and RSV or influenza diagnosis was not observed. Children with a lead level ≥1 μg/dL vs. <1 μg/dL had an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence limit of 0.95 (0.60, 1.49) for RSV and 1.34 (0.65, 2.75) for influenza. In sex-specific analyses, boys with lead concentrations ≥1 μg/dL vs. <1 μg/dL had an aOR = 1.89 (1.25, 2.86) for influenza diagnosis, while the estimates were inconsistent for girls. These results are suggestive of sex-specific associations between blood lead levels and the risk of influenza, although the sample size was small. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health Impacts of Environmental Exposures)
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23 pages, 1665 KiB  
Article
Testing the Multiple Pathways of Residential Greenness to Pregnancy Outcomes Model in a Sample of Pregnant Women in the Metropolitan Area of Donostia-San Sebastián
by Asier Anabitarte, Mikel Subiza-Pérez, Jesús Ibarluzea, Kepa Azkona, Gonzalo García-Baquero, Carme Miralles-Guasch, Jon Irazusta, Kristina W. Whitworth, Guillem Vich and Aitana Lertxundi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(12), 4520; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124520 - 23 Jun 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3881
Abstract
Residential greenness may positively impact diverse human health indicators through the reduction of air pollution, the improvement of psychological health, and the promotion of physical activity. Previous studies indicate a weak but positive association with pregnancy outcomes. Our aim was to test the [...] Read more.
Residential greenness may positively impact diverse human health indicators through the reduction of air pollution, the improvement of psychological health, and the promotion of physical activity. Previous studies indicate a weak but positive association with pregnancy outcomes. Our aim was to test the multiple pathways from residential greenness to pregnancy outcomes model, using residential NO2 concentrations, psychological health, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the first trimester of pregnancy, in a sample of 440 pregnant women residing in Donostia, Spain. Three metrics of residential greenness were calculated around each participant’s home address: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) within 300 m, and green space (>5000 m2) availability within 300 and 500 m. Residential NO2 concentrations, psychological health, and MVPA were explored as mediators of the associations between these metrics and the following pregnancy outcomes: birth weight (BW), low birth weight (LBW), prematurity, small for gestational age (SGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). Educational attainment, parity, and body mass index (BMI) were treated as covariates. Counterfactual mediation analyses showed very low to null statistical support for an association between any of the greenspace metrics and pregnancy outcomes in the full sample. Green space availability (300 m) was associated with lower BW and showed a marginal protective effect against LGA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health Impacts of Environmental Exposures)
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13 pages, 668 KiB  
Article
Prenatal Manganese Exposure and Long-Term Neuropsychological Development at 4 Years of Age in a Population-Based Birth Cohort
by Ainara Andiarena, Amaia Irizar, Amaia Molinuevo, Nerea Urbieta, Izaro Babarro, Mikel Subiza-Pérez, Loreto Santa-Marina, Jesús Ibarluzea and Aitana Lertxundi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(5), 1665; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051665 - 4 Mar 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2734
Abstract
Background: Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient for humans, the diet being the main source of exposure. Some epidemiological studies describe a negative association between prenatal Mn and later neuropsychological development, but results are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
Background: Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient for humans, the diet being the main source of exposure. Some epidemiological studies describe a negative association between prenatal Mn and later neuropsychological development, but results are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore the association between prenatal Mn exposure and neuropsychological development assessed at 4 years of age. Methods: Study subjects were 304 mother-child pairs from the Gipuzkoa cohort of the INMA (Environment and Childhood) Project. Mn was measured in newborns’ hair. Children’s neuropsychological development was assessed at 4 years of age using the McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities. Multivariate linear regression models were built. Stratified analysis by sex was performed. Generalized additive models were used to assess the shape of the relation. Results: The median Mn concentration in newborns’ hair was 0.42 μg/g (95% CI = 0.38, 0.46). The association between Mn levels and the neuropsychological development was not statistically significant for the general cognitive scale (β [95% CI] = 0.36 [−5.23, 5.95]), motor scale (β [95% CI] = 1.9 [−3.74, 7.55]) or any of the other outcomes. No sex-specific pattern was found. The best shape describing the relationship was linear for all the scales. Conclusion: Our results suggest that prenatal Mn concentrations measured in newborns’ hair do not affect cognitive or motor development at 4 years of age in boys or in girls at the observed Mn levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health Impacts of Environmental Exposures)
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Review

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29 pages, 575 KiB  
Review
Protective Effect of Breastfeeding on the Adverse Health Effects Induced by Air Pollution: Current Evidence and Possible Mechanisms
by Monika A. Zielinska and Jadwiga Hamulka
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(21), 4181; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214181 - 29 Oct 2019
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 7936
Abstract
Air pollution is a major social, economic, and health problem around the world. Children are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution due to their immaturity and excessive growth and development. The aims of this narrative review were to: (1) summarize [...] Read more.
Air pollution is a major social, economic, and health problem around the world. Children are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution due to their immaturity and excessive growth and development. The aims of this narrative review were to: (1) summarize evidence about the protective effects of breastfeeding on the adverse health effects of air pollution exposure, (2) define and describe the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of breastfeeding, and (3) examine the potential effects of air pollution on breastmilk composition and lactation. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases. Existing evidence suggests that breastfeeding has a protective effect on adverse outcomes of indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure in respiratory (infections, lung function, asthma symptoms) and immune (allergic, nervous and cardiovascular) systems, as well as under-five mortality in both developing and developed countries. However, some studies reported no protective effect of breastfeeding or even negative effects of breastfeeding for under-five mortality. Several possible mechanisms of the breastfeeding protective effect were proposed, including the beneficial influence of breastfeeding on immune, respiratory, and nervous systems, which are related to the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective properties of breastmilk. Breastmilk components responsible for its protective effect against air pollutants exposure may be long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA), antioxidant vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids, immunoglobins, and cytokines, some of which have concentrations that are diet-dependent. However, maternal exposure to air pollution is related to increased breastmilk concentrations of pollutants (e.g., Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or heavy metals in particulate matter (PM)). Nonetheless, environmental studies have confirmed that breastmilk’s protective effects outweigh its potential health risk to the infant. Mothers should be encouraged and supported to breastfeed their infants due to its unique health benefits, as well as its limited ecological footprint, which is associated with decreased waste production and the emission of pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health Impacts of Environmental Exposures)
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