PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy can affect brain development in newborns

A groundbreaking study from Spain has revealed a startling link between maternal exposure to fine air pollution particles and early brain development in newborns, shedding new light on the invisible ways the environment can shape life from its very beginning.

Researchers from Hospital del Mar, the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal), and CIBERESP analysed ultrafine particles (PM2.5) — tiny specks roughly thirty times thinner than a human hair. These particles, originating from combustion processes, carry both harmful toxins and essential trace elements like iron, copper, and zinc, the latter vital for brain development.

Published in the journal Environment International, the study found that newborns of mothers exposed to higher PM2.5 levels during pregnancy exhibited slower myelination, a crucial process in brain maturation. Myelination involves the coating of neuronal connections with myelin, enhancing their efficiency for transmitting information. Disruption of this process — whether too slow or too rapid — can be detrimental to a child’s cognitive trajectory.

“Our study shows that the myelination process — a progressive indicator of brain maturation — occurs at a slower rate in newborns most exposed to PM2.5 during pregnancy,” said Gerard Martínez-Vilavella, a researcher at the MRI unit of the radiology department at Hospital del Mar.

The research team monitored air pollutant levels during pregnancy and conducted MRI scans on 132 newborns within their first month of life, assessing the degree of brain maturation. Dr. Jesús Pujol, head of the MRI Unit, cautioned that while early brain changes are complex, and both excessive slowdown and acceleration can be harmful, the long-term effects of these findings on childhood development remain to be determined.

“This study opens an exciting new field of research aimed at determining the optimal speed of brain maturation during pregnancy and understanding how the mother and placenta may act as effective filters to protect and optimize this process,” added Pujol.

The researchers emphasised the need for further studies to untangle the effects of individual pollutants on the developing brain and to explore strategies for safeguarding fetal neurological health in an increasingly polluted world.

With IANS inputs