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AbstractIn heavily urbanized world saturated with environmental pollutants, road traffic noise stands out as a significant factor contributing to widespread public health issues. It contributes in the development of a diverse range of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic dysregulation, cognitive impairment, and neurodegenerative disorders. Although the exact mechanisms behind these non-auditory health effects remain unclear, the noise reaction model centres on the stress response to noise. When exposed to noise, the body activates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system, leading to the secretion of stress hormones like catecholamines and cortisol. Prolonged exposure to noise-induced stress results in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. This review underscores the role of inflammation and oxidative stress in the progression of noise-induced vascular dysfunction, disruption of the circadian rhythm, accelerated aging, neuroinflammation, and changes in microbiome. Additionally, our focus is on understanding the interconnected nature of these health outcomes: These interconnected factors create a cascade effect, contributing to the accumulation of multiple risk factors that ultimately lead to severe adverse health effects.

Objective: To investigate the possible association between birth size or gestational length and maternal serum concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in a population exposed to background levels. Methods: A total of 1568 mother-child pairs recruited in three Spanish areas (INMA Project) from 2004 to 2008 participated in the study. Multivariate analysis was performed between birth weight and length, weeks of gestation, preterm birth or small for gestational age and HCB concentrations in maternal serum. Results: The median concentration of HCB was 45.45. ng/g lipids. No association was found between HCB exposure levels and birth weight (β 50.42 [109.88; 9.04]), birth length (β: 0.07 [0.32; 0.18]), gestation age (HR: 1.07 [0.94; 1.22]), small for gestational age (OR: 0.95 [0.56; 1.61]) and preterm birth (OR: 0.60 [0.29; 1.28]). Results remain similar after adjustment for other organochlorines. Conclusion: Our findings support the idea that exposure to low levels of HCB does not affect the intrauterine growth nor the duration of gestation. ; a Public Health Division of Gipuzkoa, Basque Government, Spain b Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain c Health Research Institute, Biodonostia, San Sebastián, Spain d University of the Basque Country, Spain e Unit of Environment and Health, Centre for Public Health Research (CSISP), Valencia, Spain f University of Valencia, Spain g Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain h Public Health Laboratory, Basque Government, Spain i Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain j University of Granada, San Cecilio Universitary Hospital, Granada, Spain ; No

Background: Prenatal and early-life periods may be critical windows for harmful effects of air pollution on infant health. Objectives: We studied the association of air pollution exposure during pregnancy and the first year of life with respiratory illnesses, ear infections, and eczema during the first 12–18 months of age in a Spanish birth cohort of 2,199 infants. Methods: We obtained parentally reported information on doctor-diagnosed lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and parental reports of wheezing, eczema, and ear infections. We estimated individual exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and benzene with temporally adjusted land use regression models. We used log-binomial regression models and a combined random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the effects of air pollution exposure on health outcomes across the four study locations. Results: A 10-µg/m3 increase in average NO2 during pregnancy was associated with LRTI [relative risk (RR) = 1.05; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.12] and ear infections (RR = 1.18; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.41). The RRs for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in NO2 were 1.08 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.21) for LRTI and 1.31 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.76) for ear infections. Compared with NO2, the association for an IQR increase in average benzene exposure was similar for LRTI (RR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.19) and slightly lower for ear infections (RR = 1.17; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.46). Associations were slightly stronger among infants whose mothers spent more time at home during pregnancy. Air pollution exposure during the first year was highly correlated with prenatal exposure, so we were unable to discern the relative importance of each exposure period. Conclusions: Our findings support the hypothesis that early-life exposure to ambient air pollution may increase the risk of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in infants. ; This study was funded by grants from Spanish Ministry of Health–Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0041, FIS-PI041436, FIS- PI081151, FIS-PI042018, FIS-PI09/02311, FIS-PI06/0867, FIS-PS09/00090, FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, and 09/02647), Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT (Consejo Interdepartamental de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica) (1999SGR 00241), Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana, Universidad de Oviedo, Obra social Cajastur, Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093 and 2009111069), Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/004 and DFG08/001), and Fundación Roger Torné. M.P. holds a Juan de la Cierva post-doctoral fellowship awarded from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (JCI-2011-09479)

Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0041), (FIS-PI13/2429, PI041436, PI042018, PI06/0867, PI07/0252, PI08/1151, PI09/02311, y FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, 09/02647, y MS13/00054), Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241, Conselleria de Sanitat, Generalitat Valenciana, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco (2005111093 y 2009111069), Gobierno Provincial de Guipúzcoa (DFG06/004 and DFG08/001), Obra Social Cajastur, Universidad de Oviedo, European Union Commission (QLK4-1999-01422, QLK4-2002-00603 and CONTAMED FP7-ENV-212502), Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (183/07), y Fundació Roger Torné.

Fundamentos: Los estudios publicados no son concluyentes sobre el impacto de determinadas exposiciones ocupacionales en el embarazo, evidenciando la necesidad de considerar el doble rol, profesional y familiar, de las mujeres. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de la situación laboral y de la carga doméstica de trabajo en la duración de la gestación y en el desarrollo fetal. Métodos: Mediante modelos de regresión univariante y multivariante, se estudió la asociación entre partos pretérmino (PPT) (<37 semanas), recién nacidos con bajo peso a término (BPT) (<2500g) y pequeños para su edad gestacional (PEG) (

Background Humans are regularly exposed to metals and metalloids present in air, water, food, soil and domestic materials. Most of them can cross the placental barrier and cause adverse impacts on the developing foetus. Objectives To describe the prenatal concentrations of metals and metalloids and to study the associated sociodemographic, environmental and dietary factors in pregnant Spanish women. Methods Subjects were 1346 pregnant women of the INMA Project, for whom the following metals arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se), thallium (Tl) and zinc (Zn) were determined in urine, at both the first and the third trimesters of gestation. Sociodemographic, dietary and environmental information was collected through questionnaires during pregnancy. Multiple linear mixed models were built in order to study the association between each metal and metalloid concentrations and the sociodemographic, environmental and dietary factors. Results The most detected compounds were As, Co, Mo, Sb, Se and Zn at both trimesters. Zn was the element found in the highest concentrations at both trimesters and Tl was detected in the lowest concentrations. We observed significant associations between As, Cd, Cu, Sb, Tl and Zn concentrations and working situation, social class and age. Seafood, meat, fruits, nuts, vegetables and alcohol intake affected the levels of all the metals but Cd and Cu. Proximity to industrial areas, fields and air pollution were related to all metals except Cd, Sb and Se. Conclusions This is the first large prospective longitudinal study on the exposure to metals and metalloids during pregnancy and associated factors to include several cohorts in Spain. The present study shows that some modifiable lifestyles, food intakes and environmental factors could be associated with prenatal exposure to metal(loid)s, which may be considered in further studies to assess their relationship with neonatal health outcomes. ; This study was funded by Grants from EU (FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957 and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5–1); Spain: ISCIII (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0041; FIS-FEDER: PI03/1615, PI04/1509, PI04/1112, PI04/1931, PI05/1079, PI05/1052, PI06/0867, PI06/1213, PI07/0314, PI09/00090, PI09/02647, PI11/01007, PI11/02591, PI11/02038, PI13/1944, PI13/2032, PI13/02187, PI14/00891, PI14/01687, PI16/1288, PI17/00663, PI18/01142 and PI19/1338; Miguel Servet FEDER MS15/00025, MS20/0006, CPII16/00051, and FIS-FSE: 17/ 00260); CIBERESP; Generalitat Valenciana: FISABIO (UGP 15–230, UGP-15-244, and UGP-15-249), AICO/2020/285, and Alicia Koplowitz Foundation 2017; Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241; Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093, 2009111069, 2013111089 and 2015111065); Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/002, DFG08/001 and DFG15/221). We acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the "Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019–2023" Programme (CEX2018000806-S), and from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Programme, as well as the municipalities in the study area. ; Peer reviewed

Background: Humans are regularly exposed to metals and metalloids present in air, water, food, soil and domestic materials. Most of them can cross the placental barrier and cause adverse impacts on the developing foetus. Objectives: To describe the prenatal concentrations of metals and metalloids and to study the associated sociodemographic, environmental and dietary factors in pregnant Spanish women. Methods: Subjects were 1346 pregnant women of the INMA Project, for whom the following metals arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se), thallium (Tl) and zinc (Zn) were determined in urine, at both the first and the third trimesters of gestation. Sociodemographic, dietary and environmental information was collected through questionnaires during pregnancy. Multiple linear mixed models were built in order to study the association between each metal and metalloid concentrations and the sociodemographic, environmental and dietary factors. Results: The most detected compounds were As, Co, Mo, Sb, Se and Zn at both trimesters. Zn was the element found in the highest concentrations at both trimesters and Tl was detected in the lowest concentrations. We observed significant associations between As, Cd, Cu, Sb, Tl and Zn concentrations and working situation, social class and age. Seafood, meat, fruits, nuts, vegetables and alcohol intake affected the levels of all the metals but Cd and Cu. Proximity to industrial areas, fields and air pollution were related to all metals except Cd, Sb and Se. Conclusions: This is the first large prospective longitudinal study on the exposure to metals and metalloids during pregnancy and associated factors to include several cohorts in Spain. The present study shows that some modifiable lifestyles, food intakes and environmental factors could be associated with prenatal exposure to metal(loid)s, which may be considered in further studies to assess their relationship with neonatal health outcomes. ; This study was funded by Grants from EU (FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957 and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5–1); Spain: ISCIII (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0041; FIS-FEDER: PI03/1615, PI04/1509, PI04/1112, PI04/1931, PI05/1079, PI05/1052, PI06/0867, PI06/1213, PI07/0314, PI09/00090, PI09/02647, PI11/01007, PI11/02591, PI11/02038, PI13/1944, PI13/2032, PI13/02187, PI14/00891, PI14/01687, PI16/1288, PI17/00663, PI18/01142 and PI19/1338; Miguel Servet FEDER MS15/00025, MS20/0006, CPII16/00051, and FIS-FSE: 17/ 00260); CIBERESP; Generalitat Valenciana: FISABIO (UGP 15–230, UGP-15-244, and UGP-15-249), AICO/2020/285, and Alicia Koplowitz Foundation 2017; Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241; Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093, 2009111069, 2013111089 and 2015111065); Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/002, DFG08/001 and DFG15/221).

Background: Air pollution effects on children's neurodevelopment have recently been suggested to occur most likely through the oxidative stress pathway. Objective: We aimed to assess whether prenatal exposure to residential air pollution is associated with impaired infant mental development, and whether antioxidant/detoxification factors modulate this association. Methods: In the Spanish INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA; Environment and Childhood) Project, 2,644 pregnant women were recruited during their first trimester. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and benzene were measured with passive samplers covering the study areas. Land use regression models were developed for each pollutant to predict average outdoor air pollution levels for the entire pregnancy at each residential address. Maternal diet was obtained at first trimester through a validated food frequency questionnaire. Around 14 months, infant mental development was assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Results: Among the 1,889 children included in the analysis, mean exposure during pregnancy was 29.0 μg/m3 for NO2 and 1.5 μg/m3 for benzene. Exposure to NO2 and benzene showed an inverse association with mental development, although not statistically significant, after adjusting for potential confounders [β (95% confidence interval) = –0.95 (–3.90, 1.89) and –1.57 (–3.69, 0.56), respectively, for a doubling of each compound]. Stronger inverse associations were estimated for both pollutants among infants whose mothers reported low intakes of fruits/vegetables during pregnancy [–4.13 (–7.06, –1.21) and –4.37 (–6.89, –1.86) for NO2 and benzene, respectively], with little evidence of associations in the high-intake group (interaction p-values of 0.073 and 0.047). Inverse associations were also stronger in non-breast-fed infants and infants with low maternal vitamin D, but effect estimates and interactions were not significant. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to residential air pollutants may adversely affect infant mental development, but potential effects may be limited to infants whose mothers report low antioxidant intakes. ; This study was funded by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Health-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0041, FIS-PI041436, FIS- PI081151, FIS-PI042018, FIS-PI09/02311, FIS-PI06/0867, FIS-PS09/00090, FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, and 09/02647), Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT (Consell Interdepartamental de Recerca i Innovació Tecnològica) (1999SGR 00241), Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana, Universidad de Oviedo, Obra social Cajastur, Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093 and 2009111069), the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/004 and DFG08/001), and Fundación Roger Torné

BACKGROUND: Prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution has been linked to cognitive impairment in children, but very few studies have assessed its association with attentional function. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between prenatal and postnatal exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and attentional function in children at 4-5years of age. METHODS: We used data from four regions of the Spanish INMA-Environment and Childhood-Project, a population-based birth cohort. Using land-use regression models (LUR), we estimated prenatal and postnatal NO2 levels in all of these regions at the participants' residential addresses. We assessed attentional function using the Kiddie-Conners Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT). We combined the region-specific adjusted effect estimates using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: We included 1298 children with complete data. Prenatal exposure to NO2 was associated with an impaired standard error of the hit reaction time (HRT(SE)) (increase of 1.12ms [95% CI; 0.22 a 2.02] per 10μg/m3 increase in prenatal NO2) and increased omission errors (6% [95% CI; 1.01 to 1.11] per 10μg/m3 increase in prenatal NO2). Postnatal exposure to NO2 resulted in a similar but borderline significant increase of omission errors (5% [95% CI; =0.99 to 1.11] per 10μg/m3 increase in postnatal NO2). These associations did not vary markedly between regions, and were mainly observed in girls. Commission errors and lower detectability were associated with prenatal and postnatal exposure to NO2 only in some regions. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that higher exposure to ambient NO2, mainly during pregnancy and to a lesser extent postnatally, is associated with impaired attentional function in children at 4-5years of age. ; This study was funded by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176; CB06/02/0041 and PI031615; PI041931; PI041112; PI041436; PI041509; PI042018; PI051079; PI051052; PI060867; PI061213; PI070314; CP1100178; PI081151 incl. FEDER funds; PS0900090 incl. FEDER funds; PI0902311 incl. FEDER funds; PI0902647 incl. FEDER funds; PI1102591 incl. FEDER funds; PI1102038 incl. FEDER funds; PI131944 incl. FEDER funds; PI132032 incl. FEDER funds; PI1302429 incl. FEDER funds; PI1302187 incl. FEDER funds; PI140891 incl. FEDER funds; PI141687 incl. FEDER funds and MS13/00054), Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241, Fundació La marató de TV3 (090430), Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093, 2009111069 and 2013111089), the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/002 and DFG08/001), Convenios anuales con los ayuntamientos de la zona del estudio (Zumarraga, Urretxu, Legazpi, Azkoitia y Azpeitia y Beasain), from UE (FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957 and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1), from the European Research Council under the ERC Grant Agreement number ERC-AdG 2010 GA#268479 – the BREATHE project, from the Conselleria de Sanitat of Generalitat Valenciana (AP212/11, 002/008, 012/009, 013/2009, 014/009, 015/008, 016/009, 021/007, 021/008, 023/008 and 024/007) and from Obra Social Cajastur/Fundación Liberbank and Universidad de Oviedo. ISGlobal is a member of the CERCA Programme, Generalitat de Catalunya

Air pollution has been associated with adverse health effects across the life-course. Although underlying mechanisms are unclear, several studies suggested pollutant-induced changes in transcriptomic profiles. In this meta-analysis of transcriptome-wide association studies of 656 children and adolescents from three European cohorts participating in the MeDALL Consortium, we found two differentially expressed transcript clusters (FDR p < 0.05) associated with exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) at birth, one of them mapping to the MIR1296 gene. Further, by integrating gene expression with DNA methylation using Functional Epigenetic Modules algorithms, we identified 9 and 6 modules in relation to PM2.5 exposure at birth and at current address, respectively (including NR1I2, MAPK6, TAF8 and SCARA3). In conclusion, PM2.5 exposure at birth was linked to differential gene expression in children and adolescents. Importantly, we identified several significant interactome hotspots of gene modules of relevance for complex diseases in relation to PM2.5 exposure. ; European Community's 75 Seventh Framework Program under grant agreement numbers: 211250 (ESCAPE), and 76 261357 (MeDALL) ; European Research Council (grant agreement number 757919, TRIBAL) ; Swedish Research Council ; The Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, Region Stockholm ; Strategic Research Programme (SFO) in Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet ; Formas ; Swedish Environment Protection Agency ; Swedish Asthma and Allergy Research Foundation ; Cancer and Allergy Foundation ; Swedish Research Council for Health, Working life and Welfare (FORTE 2017-01146) ; Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology ; Helmholtz Zentrum Munich ; Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, LMU Munich, TU Munich ; Leibniz Research-Institute for Environmental Medicine at the University of Düsseldorf ; Federal Ministry for Environment (IUF Düsseldorf, FKZ 20462296) ; Mead Johnson ; Nestlé ; Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176; CB06/02/0041; PI04/1436; PI06/0867; PI08/1151; and PI18/01142 ; Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241 ; Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093) ; Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/002) ; Municipalities of the study area (Zumarraga, Urretxu , Legazpi, 101 Azkoitia y Azpeitia y Beasain) ; Accepted

Objectives: We investigated the association between outdoor air pollutants exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy, and growth and cardio-metabolic risk at four years of age, and evaluated the mediating role of birth weight. Methods: We included mother-child pairs (N = 1,724) from the Spanish INMA birth cohort established in 2003–2008. First trimester of pregnancy nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particles (PM2.5) exposure levels were estimated. Height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and lipids were measured at four years of age. Body mass index (BMI) trajectories from birth to four years were identified. Results: Increased PM2.5 exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with decreased z-scores of weight (zWeight) and BMI (zBMI) (zWeight change per interquartile range increase in PM2.5 exposure = −0.12; 95% CI: −0.23, −0.01; zBMI change = −0.12; 95% CI: −0.23, −0.01). Higher NO2 and PM2.5 exposure was associated to a reduced risk of being in a trajectory with accelerated BMI gain, compared to children with the average trajectory. Birth weight partially mediated the association between PM2.5 and zWeight and zBMI. PM2.5 and NO2 were not associated with the other cardio-metabolic risk factors. Conclusions: This comprehensive study of many growth and cardio-metabolic risk related outcomes suggests that air pollution exposure during pregnancy may be associated with delays in physical growth in the early years after birth. These findings imply that pregnancy exposure to air pollutants has a lasting effect on growth after birth and require follow-up at later child ages. ; This study was funded by grants from the Eulji University (grant numbers ESCAPE project FP7-ENV-2007-1-211250, DENAMIC project FP7-ENV-2011-282957, HELIX project FP7-ENV-2012-308333, and MEDALL project HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1), from the Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant numbers Red INMA G03/176; CB06/02/0041; PI03/1615 incl. FEDER funds, PI04/1112 incl. FEDER funds, PI041436, PI04/1509 incl. FEDER funds, PI04/1931 incl. FEDER funds, PI042018 incl. FEDER funds, PI05/1079 incl. FEDER funds, PI05/1052 incl. FEDER funds, FIS-PI06/0867, PI06/1213 incl. FEDER funds, PI07/0314 incl. FEDER funds, PI081151 incl. FEDER funds, FIS-PI09/00090, PI09/02311 incl. FEDER funds, PI09/02647 incl. FEDER funds, PI11/01007 incl. FEDER funds, PI11/02591 incl. FEDER funds, PI11/02038 incl. FEDER funds, PI13/1944 incl. FEDER funds, PI13/2032 incl. FEDER funds, PI13/02429 incl. FEDER funds, PI14/00891 incl. FEDER funds, PI14/01687 incl. FEDER funds, PI15/00118 incl. FEDER funds, PI16/1288 incl. FEDER funds, and PI17/00663 incl. FEDER funds, PI18/00547 incl. FEDER funds, PI18/00909 incl. FEDER funds; CP11/00178 , CP15/00025, and CPII16/00051; MS13/00054 incl. FEDER funds), CIBERESP, Department of Health of the Basque Government (grant numbers 2005111093, 2013111089), Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT (grant numbers 1999SGR 00241), Generalitat Valenciana: FISABIO (grant numbers UGP 15-230, UGP-15-244, and UGP-15-249), Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (grant number DFG06/002), Alicia Koplowitz Foundation 2017, Fundació La marató de TV3 (grant number 090430), Obra Social Cajastur/Fundación Liberbank, Universidad de Oviedo, and annual agreements with the municipalities of the study area of the Gipuzkoa sub-cohort (Zumarraga, Urretxu , Legazpi, Azkoitia, Azpeitia and Beasain). ISGlobal is a member of the Agency for the Research Centres of Catalonia (CERCA) Programme, Generalitat de Catalunya.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution exposure during pregnancy has been associated with impaired fetal growth. However, few studies have measured fetal biometry longitudinally, remaining unclear as to whether there are windows of special vulnerability. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the impact of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure on fetal and neonatal biometry in the Spanish INMA study. METHODS: Biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), abdominal circumference (AC), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) were evaluated for up to 2,478 fetuses in each trimester of pregnancy. Size at 12, 20, and 34 weeks of gestation and growth between these points, as well as anthropometry at birth, were assessed by SD scores derived using cohort-specific growth curves. Temporally adjusted land-use regression was used to estimate exposure to NO2 at home addresses for up to 2,415 fetuses. Associations were investigated by linear regression in each cohort and subsequent meta-analysis. RESULTS: A 10-μg/m3 increase in average exposure to NO2 during weeks 0-12 was associated with reduced growth at weeks 0-12 in AC (-2.1%; 95% CI: -3.7, -0.6) and EFW (-1.6%; 95% CI: -3.0, -0.3). The same exposure was inversely associated with reduced growth at weeks 20-34 in BPD (-2.6%; 95% CI: -3.9, -1.2), AC (-1.8%; 95% CI: -3.3, -0.2), and EFW (-2.1%; 95% CI: -3.7, -0.2). A less consistent pattern of association was observed for FL. The negative association of this exposure with BPD and EFW was significantly stronger in smoking versus nonsmoking mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal exposure to NO2 in early pregnancy was associated with reduced fetal growth based on ultrasound measures of growth during pregnancy and measures of size at birth. ; This study was funded by grants from the European Union: NEWGENERIS FP6-2003-Food-3-A-016320, FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957, HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1; and by grants from Spain: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0031, and FIS-FEDER PI03/1615, PI04/1509, PI04/1112, PI04/1931, PI04/2018, PI04/1436, PI05/1079, PI05/1052, PI06/1213, PI07/0314, PI08/1151, PI09/02647, PI09/02311, PI11/01007, PI11/02591, PI11/02038, PI13/1944, PI13/02429, PI14/0891, PI14/1687, and Miguel Servet CP11/00178 and MS13/00054), Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana, Generalitat de Catalunya (CIRIT 1999SGR 00241), Diputación Foral de Guipúzcoa (DFG/004), Departamento de Sanidad y Consumo Gobierno Vasco (2005111093), Obra Social Cajastur, and Oviedo University.

Results from studies evaluating potential effects of prenatal exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields from cell phones on birth outcomes have been inconsistent. Using data on 55,507 pregnant women and their children from Denmark (1996-2002), the Netherlands (2003-2004), Spain (2003-2008), and South Korea (2006-2011), we explored whether maternal cell-phone use was associated with pregnancy duration and fetal growth. On the basis of self-reported number of cell-phone calls per day, exposure was grouped as none, low (referent), intermediate, or high. We examined pregnancy duration (gestational age at birth, preterm/postterm birth), fetal growth (birth weight ratio, small/large size for gestational age), and birth weight variables (birth weight, low/high birth weight) and meta-analyzed cohort-specific estimates. The intermediate exposure group had a higher risk of giving birth at a lower gestational age (hazard ratio = 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.07), and exposure-response relationships were found for shorter pregnancy duration (P < 0.001) and preterm birth (P = 0.003). We observed no association with fetal growth or birth weight. Maternal cell-phone use during pregnancy may be associated with shorter pregnancy duration and increased risk of preterm birth, but these results should be interpreted with caution, since they may reflect stress during pregnancy or other residual confounding rather than a direct effect of cell-phone exposure. ; The Generalized EMF Research Using Novel Methods (GERoNiMO) Project was supported by the European Union (grant 603794). The Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development Study (ABCD) was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (grant 2100.0076) and the Electromagnetic Fields and Health Research program (grants 85600004 and 85800001). The Danish National Birth Cohort Study (DNBC) was supported by the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, the Lundbeck Foundation (grant 195/04), the Egmont Foundation, the March of Dimes Birth Defect Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, and the Medical Research Council (grant SSVF 0646). The Spanish Environment and Childhood Project (INMA) was supported by the European Union (grants FP7-ENV-2011, 282957, and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1); Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grants G03/176, CB06/02/0041, FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, 09/02647, 11/01007, 11/02591, CP11/00178, FIS-PI06/0867, FIS-PS09/00090, FIS-PI041436, FIS-PI081151, FIS-PI042018, FIS-PI09/02311, FISPI13/1944, FIS-PI13/2429, FIS-PI14/0981, FIS-PI13/141687, CP13/00054 (including FEDER funds), and MS13/00054); the Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana; the Generalitat de Catalunya (grants CIRIT1999SGR and 00241); Obra Social Cajastur; the Universidad de Oviedo; the Department of Health of the Basque Government (grants 2005111093 and 2009111069); and the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (grants DFG06/004 and DFG08/001). The Korean Mothers and Children's Environment Health Study (MOCEH) was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Research, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) research and development program of the Ministry of Science and ICT (grants 2017-0-00961 and 2019-0-00102), South Korea.

Background: studies examining associations of early-life cat and dog ownership with childhood asthma have reported inconsistent results. Several factors could explain these inconsistencies, including type of pet, timing, and degree of exposure. Objective: our aim was to study associations of early-life cat and dog ownership with asthma in school-aged children, including the role of type (cat vs dog), timing (never, prenatal, or early childhood), and degree of ownership (number of pets owned), and the role of allergic sensitization. Methods: we used harmonized data from 77,434 mother-child dyads from 9 birth cohorts in the European Union Child Cohort Network when the child was 5 to 11 years old. Associations were examined through the DataSHIELD platform by using adjusted logistic regression models, which were fitted separately for each cohort and combined by using random effects meta-analysis. Results: the prevalence of early-life cat and dog ownership ranged from 12% to 45% and 7% to 47%, respectively, and the prevalence of asthma ranged from 2% to 20%. There was no overall association between either cat or dog ownership and asthma (odds ratio [OR] = 0.97 [95% CI = 0.87-1.09] and 0.92 [95% CI = 0.85-1.01], respectively). Timing and degree of ownership did not strongly influence associations. Cat and dog ownership were also not associated with cat- and dog-specific allergic sensitization (OR = 0.92 [95% CI = 0.75-1.13] and 0.93 [95% CI = 0.57-1.54], respectively). However, cat- and dog-specific allergic sensitization was strongly associated with school-age asthma (OR = 6.69 [95% CI = 4.91-9.10] and 5.98 [95% CI = 3.14-11.36], respectively). There was also some indication of an interaction between ownership and sensitization, suggesting that ownership may exacerbate the risks associated with pet-specific sensitization but offer some protection against asthma in the absence of sensitization. Conclusion: our findings do not support early-life cat and dog ownership in themselves increasing the risk of school-age ...

Background: Studies examining associations of early-life cat and dog ownership with childhood asthma have reported inconsistent results. Several factors could explain these inconsistencies, including type of pet, timing, and degree of exposure. Objective: Our aim was to study associations of early-life cat and dog ownership with asthma in school-aged children, including the role of type (cat vs dog), timing (never, prenatal, or early childhood), and degree of ownership (number of pets owned), and the role of allergic sensitization. Methods: We used harmonized data from 77,434 mother-child dyads from 9 birth cohorts in the European Union Child Cohort Network when the child was 5 to 11 years old. Associations were examined through the DataSHIELD platform by using adjusted logistic regression models, which were fitted separately for each cohort and combined by using random effects meta-analysis. Results: The prevalence of early-life cat and dog ownership ranged from 12% to 45% and 7% to 47%, respectively, and the prevalence of asthma ranged from 2% to 20%. There was no overall association between either cat or dog ownership and asthma (odds ratio [OR] = 0.97 [95% CI = 0.87-1.09] and 0.92 [95% CI = 0.85-1.01], respectively). Timing and degree of ownership did not strongly influence associations. Cat and dog ownership were also not associated with cat- and dog-specific allergic sensitization (OR = 0.92 [95% CI = 0.75-1.13] and 0.93 [95% CI = 0.57-1.54], respectively). However, cat- and dog-specific allergic sensitization was strongly associated with school-age asthma (OR = 6.69 [95% CI = 4.91-9.10] and 5.98 [95% CI = 3.14-11.36], respectively). There was also some indication of an interaction between ownership and sensitization, suggesting that ownership may exacerbate the risks associated with pet-specific sensitization but offer some protection against asthma in the absence of sensitization. Conclusion: Our findings do not support early-life cat and dog ownership in themselves increasing the risk of school-age ...