Highway air pollution and autism: Could where you live cause the disorder?

A new study in Environmental Health Perspectives says there may be a link between pregnant women living near highways and babies who develop autism. 

The article published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Services,  says little is known about the environmental causes and contributing factors for autism. Some research suggests oxidative stress and inflammation may play a role in disease development. 

Autism affects one in 110 children in the United States, four times as many boys as girls. 

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges, according to Autism Speaks. 

Traffic-related air pollution contains substances known to have adverse prenatal effects. 

The Environmental Protection Agency says a previous study from the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health published in the August 2009 journal Pediatrics, found evidence linking levels of a common urban air pollutant and children’s IQ test scores. The study was conducted by the Centers for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research and jointly funded by the U.S. EPA’s STAR Grants program and the National Center for Environmental Health Sciences. 

In this new study, researchers examined the association between autism and mothers who lived near major roadways during pregnancy or near the time of delivery. 

Scientists reviewed  304 autism cases and 259 typically developing controls enrolled in the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study. The mother's addresses were mapped and compared to freeways and major roads. 

Autism was also associated with residential proximity to a freeway during the third trimester, however living near other major roads at birth was not associated with autism, according to the study. 

Scientists say studies to measure air pollutant levels near highways should now be done.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the prevalence of autism increased 57 percent from 2002 to 2006.

Autism is a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown, according to the CDC. 

Additional Resources:
Autism - RI Department of Education
The Autism Project of RI
Autism Votes - RI
The Groden Network - RI

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