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| 13 Jun 2008
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Traffic pollution appears to raise children's allergy risk
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New research today adds to the evidence that children growing up in areas with high traffic pollution face an increased risk of asthma and allergies.
Dr Joachim Heinrich of the Institute of Epidemiology in Munich, Germany, and colleagues, say that the closer children live to roads, the higher their risk.
In a new study, the team took data from 2,860 children aged four and 3,061 children aged six. The children's exposure to traffic pollutants including nitrogen dioxide was measured from birth.
The researchers took into account parental allergies, pet ownership and number of siblings, and still found a strong link between distance to the nearest road and asthmatic bronchitis, hay fever, eczema and allergies.
Those who lived closest to major roads had a nearly 50 per cent greater risk of pollen allergy and a 60 per cent greater risk of hay fever.
"Children living very close to a major road are likely to be exposed not only to a higher amount of traffic-derived particles and gases but also to more freshly emitted aerosols which may be more toxic," said Dr Joachim Heinrich.
"We consistently found strong associations between the distance to the nearest main road and the allergic disease outcomes. Children living closer than 50 meters to a busy street had the highest probability of getting allergic symptoms, compared to children living further away.
"Our findings provide strong evidence for the adverse effects of traffic-related air pollutants on atopic diseases as well as on allergic sensitisation," he concluded. Findings are published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Morgenstern, V. et al. Atopic Diseases, Allergic Sensitization, and Exposure to Traffic-related Air Pollution in Children. The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 177, June 15, 2008, pp. 1331-37.
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