Prenatal Air Pollution Exposure Related to Subtle Fetal Brain Changes

Maternal exposure to polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics impairs umbilical blood flow but not fetal growth in pregnant mice

While microplastics have been recently detected in human blood and the placenta, their impact on human health is not well understood. Using a mouse model of environmental exposure during pregnancy, our group has previously reported that exposure to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics throughout gestation results in fetal growth restriction. While polystyrene is environmentally relevant, polyethylene is the most widely produced plastic and amongs…

In the Air: The Hidden Impact of Pollution on Fetal Brain Development | Science-Environment

Recent studies show prenatal exposure to air pollution influences fetal brain development. Researchers found changes in brain structures associated with higher levels of nitrogen dioxide and black carbon but their implications remain unclear. Further research is required to understand the long-term effects of these findings.

Prenatal air pollution exposure related to subtle fetal brain changes

Fetuses more exposed to certain air pollutants show changes in the size of specific brain structures, particularly during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Climate disasters can alter kids’ brains — before they’re even born

When Superstorm Sandy made a beeline for New York City in October 2012, it flooded huge swaths of downtown Manhattan, leaving 2 million people without electricity and heat and damaging tens of thousands of homes. The storm followed a sweltering summer in New York City, with a procession of heat waves nearing 100 degrees.  For those who were pregnant at the time, enduring these extreme conditions wasn’t just uncomfortable — it may have left a las…

In utero exposure to climate disasters linked to changes in child brain development

Climate disasters may be leaving invisible imprints on developing brains before birth, according to new research from The City University of New York Graduate Center (CUNY Graduate Center) and Queens College. Scientists discovered that children whose mothers experienced Superstorm Sandy during pregnancy showed distinct brain differences that could affect their emotional development for years to come.