Air pollution is a big problem in many countries. It is a major environmental issue affecting millions of people's lives, and the World Health Organization has named it one of the world's top ten health risks. According to research published in the British Medical Journal Open, Air pollution has caused a lot of health issues, especially in Autistic children.
For instance, India is the fifth most polluted country and has the second-highest rate of Autism in the world, with one in every 58 children diagnosed with the condition. Even if these children spend some short period, more than days or weeks, their immune system is affected, leading to hospitalization.
What is Autism, and what causes it?
Autism is a problem where the child has a neurological disorder or developmental disorder and differences in the brain that are caused genetically.
No one has yet discovered the precise cause of Autism. Still, there are various suspected causes, like:
Having a family medical history related to Autism
Being born to older parents
Metabolic imbalances
Exposure to toxins
High blood pressure of the mother before the baby is born
How are Air Pollution and Autistic Children related?
Air Pollution exposure in the short term induces these children to systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, and lung infection. According to the research, an increase in delicate particulate matter in the air by ten micrograms per cubic centimeter leads to the risk of higher hospitalization situations in autistic children.
The other main reason that is affecting autistic children due to air pollution is the increase in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone(O3) is higher than 9% in the environment. This is particularly affected either in the first trimester of the pregnancy or during the baby's early age. This problem is observed globally, especially in Korean countries with children aged 5-12 years. Still, proper care, supplements, and diet for these children will help to improve the core symptomatic conditions.
Conclusion
Researchers concluded that these findings emphasize that consideration should be given to reducing air pollution exposure and managing ASD symptoms, with significant implications for economical costs and quality of life. These conclusions might have been impacted by the use of regional air pollution levels.
It was also acknowledged that mildly symptomatic autistic children might not have been included because they might be less likely to receive psychiatric care.
Researchers also discovered that limiting these children's exposure to air pollution may help prevent hospital admissions for conditions like aggression, hyperactivity, or self-harm.
Air Pollution is among the most significant issues that the world is facing right now, and reducing it can improve the quality of life for autistic children.
Pankaj S. is the Co-founder and CEO at ClinicSpots. A serial entrepreneur, Pankaj is a passionate Content Creator and Content Marketer. He has more than 15 years of diverse experience in healthcare, entrepreneurship, business, and product development. His creation, ClinicSpots, is a digital health company that empowers users (patients) to find doctors and envisions creating the world's next Medical Quora.