Exposure to air pollution from traffic during the first year of life has been linked with reduced lung functioning at the age of 8 by research published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Here are some tips to protect yourself from unhealthy air: • Check local levels of air pollution and avoid exercising outdoors when levels are high • Don't burn wood or trash • Don' allow anyone to smoke in your home Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm followed more than 1,900 children born and living in Sweden from the time of their birth to the age of 8. The children were regularly followed-up using questionnaires, lung function tests, and blood tests that help indicate whether the children were developing allergies. At the same time, the investigators estimated the level of air pollution from road traffic present near the children's homes, daycares, and schools. There was a significant difference in the level of lung function at age 8 between the children exposed to the greatest amount of air pollution and the children exposed to the least amount of air pollution during their first year of life. This association was strongest for children with allergies. It was also more pronounced among boys and among children with asthma. Exposure to air pollution after the first year of life was less likely to have an effect on lung function at age 8. Today's research highlights how sensitive babies' developing lungs can be to air pollution and contributes to a growing body of evidence that exposure to air pollution early in life can have long-term effect on lung functioning.

• published: 15 Oct 2012
• views: 254