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Natural Awakenings Westchester / Putnam / Dutchess New York

Air Pollution Harms Developing Brains: Fetal Exposure Leads to Cognitive Difficulties

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Fetal exposure to air pollution, even at levels considered safe by current standards, has been linked by Dutch researchers to thinning of the outer layer of a child’s brain and later cognitive difficulties. Following 783 children ages 6 through 10, the researchers concluded those brain abnormalities contributed in part to impulsiveness that could lead to addictive behavior and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.


This article appears in the November 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings.