The Development of Allergic Disease Not Associated with Prenatal PM2.5 Air Pollution Exposure
February 5, 2024
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Candace Archie, Communications & Public Relations Manager
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In settings of low overall air pollution levels, differences in the development of allergic disease by race were not significant in new birth cohort.
MILWAUKEE – No significant association was found between ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and incidences of asthma, allergic rhinitis or eczema according to new research being presented at the 2024 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting in Washington, DC this month.
Black and Latin populations have been shown to have higher exposure to PM2.5 air pollution due to structural racism. To assess the risks of prenatal air pollution exposure in minority populations, researchers recruited 1,261 mother-infant pairs from the University of Colorado. The children were monitored for four years from birth, and allergy diagnoses were assigned using a standardized protocol.
In the study, the maternal residential address was used to calculate ambient PM2.5 concentrations via inverse-distance weighted interpolation of stationary monitoring data, averaged by trimester and throughout pregnancy. Logistic regression models were also used for analyses and adjusted for the child’s race and ethnicity, maternal history of asthma, delivery type, breastfeeding days and observed pregnancy weight gain.
Average ambient air pollutant concentrations were generally low with no clinically meaningful difference by race observed. Researchers also found that there was no statistically significant association between ambient PM2.5 exposure and incidence of asthma, wheeze, allergic rhinitis, eczema or food allergy.
The results found no evidence of an association between prenatal PM2.5 air pollution exposure and development of allergic disease or differences in air pollution exposure by race in a setting of low overall air pollution levels. Additional investigation of other environmental and social drivers of health disparities will be useful in improving patient care in the future.
Visit aaaai.org to learn more about asthma and pregnancy. Research presented at the 2024 AAAAI Annual Meeting, February 23-26 in Washington, DC, is published in an online supplement to The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is the leading membership organization of more than 7,100 allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and other professionals with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 7,100 members in the United States, Canada and 72 other countries and is the go-to resource for patients living with allergies, asthma and immune deficiency disorders.