Researchers report children exposed to fine particulates from outdoor pollution have an increased risk of developing autism by up to 78%.
Infants born to mothers living in poverty have smaller volumes of gray and white matter across the entire brain. Additionally, babies born to mothers who live in high crime areas showed differences in brain activity to those whose mothers lived in safer areas. Those born to mothers who experienced crime had weaker neural connections between brain areas that control and process emotions. Maternal stress, researchers say, could be a main factor in the differences in neuroanatomy and brain connectivity.
Assessing a child's exposure to air pollution on a monthly basis from conception to the age of 8.5, researchers found the greater the exposure to air pollution before the age of 5, the greater the alteration in brain structure by preadolescence.
Exposure to low levels of air pollution over a decade led to changes in gene expression associated with morbidity and mortality in the longer term.
Poor air quality has been linked to higher rates of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Exposure to air pollution during the first ten years of like is also associated with a more than two-fold increased risk of schizophrenia and personality disorders.
The living environment has a significant impact on the skin microbiota, but not gut bacteria, in both humans and dogs.
A new study reports tidying up and greening vacant lots in urban areas, can have a positive influence on the mental health of local residents. Researchers say people who lived within quarter of a mile of greened lots had a 41% decrease in depressive feelings compared to those who lived near overgrown lots.
A new study looks at the long term ramifications of childhood lead exposure, finding links to lower cognitive function, IQ and socioeconomic status.
Children who grew up in residential areas surrounded by green space were less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than those who were raised in areas without access to nature.
The genetic influence on weight is halved when children are raised in a home environment where healthy eating and exercise is encouraged, a new study reports.
Direct exposure to the California wildfires increased the risk of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
