生命早期空气污染物暴露与儿童孤独症谱系障碍患病关联的巢式病例对照研究

doi:10.12183/j.scjpm.2026.0067

Abstract

Abstract: Objective To investigate the association between early-life exposure to air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀,SO₂, NO₂) and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. Methods A nested case-control study was conducted based on a birth cohort from the Foshan Maternal and Child Health Information System between 2019 and 2021. A total of 725 children diagnosed with ASD at designated diagnostic centers were enrolled as the case group. For each case, two healthy children from the same birth cohort were selected as controls, matched 1∶2 using propensity score matching, resulting in 1 445 control subjects. Multivariable conditional logistic regression models were employed to analyze the association between exposure to various air pollutants during five critical windows—the first, second, and third trimesters, the entire pregnancy, and the first year of life—and the risk of developing ASD. Results After adjusting for a range of confounding factors, including maternal gestational diabetes mellitus, the regression analysis revealed a significant positive association between ASD risk and exposure to PM_2.5 (OR=2.37, 95% CI:1.44-3.90) and PM₁₀ (OR=1.80, 95% CI:1.07-3.04) throughout the entire gestational period. Furthermore, exposure to PM_2.5 (OR=1.68, 95% CI:1.13-2.51) and NO₂ (OR=1.58, 95% CI:1.27-1.97) during the first year of life was also significantly associated with an elevated risk of ASD(all P<0.05). Stratified analysis by exposure window further indicated that the associations were particularly prominent for exposure to PM_2.5 (OR=2.75, 95% CI:1.22-6.21) and PM₁₀ (OR=3.26, 95% CI:1.40-7.63) during the first trimester (all P<0.05). Conclusion Exposure to PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and NO₂ during the prenatal period and the first year of life may increase the risk of ASD in children. The first trimester of pregnancy appears to be a critical sensitive window for the adverse effects of particulate matter exposure on neurodevelopment.

Key words: Autism spectrum disorder, Early life, Air pollutants, Children, Nested case-control study

CLC Number:

R749.94

Liang Xiaojian, Lin Qingmei, Huang Saijun, Zhang Zilong, Gao Yonggui, Qiu Sheng, Xin Jing, Huang Yanling, Nong Xueyan, Su Xi. A nested case-control study on the association between early-life exposure to air pollution and the risk of autism spectrum disorder in children[J].South China Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2026, 52(1): 67-73.

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A nested case-control study on the association between early-life exposure to air pollution and the risk of autism spectrum disorder in children

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