Exposure to Air Pollution during Pregnancy and Childhood, and White Matter Microstructure in Preadolescents.

Abstract

We used data of 2,954 children from the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort from Rotterdam, Netherlands (2002-2006). Concentrations of 17 air pollutants including nitrogen oxides (

NO

X

), particulate matter (PM), and components of PM were estimated at participants' homes during pregnancy and childhood using land-use regression models. Diffusion tensor images were obtained at child's 9-12 years of age, and fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were computed. We performed linear regressions adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics. Single-pollutant analyses were followed by multipollutant analyses using the Deletion/Substitution/Addition (DSA) algorithm.