Effects of Early Life Air Pollution Exposure on Human Health

According to the Development Origins of Health and Disease theory (also known as Barker’s hypothesis), early life exposures to environmental factors may lead to adverse health outcomes in later life. Many studies have proved that early life exposures to air pollution are associated with a variety of outcomes later, such as low birth weight, premature, asthma, and neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the exact vulnerable time windows and dose-response relationships of air pollution during the early life periods still require thorough evaluation.



Therefore, we have launched a new research topic to collect studies about the relationships between early life exposures to air pollution and health outcomes.



This research topic invites authors to evaluate the vulnerable time windows and dose-response relationships of air pollution, including both criteria air pollutants and hazardous air pollutants, at the prenatal or perinatal periods. They can include but not limited to:

-Preconceptional exposures to air pollution on maternal and infant outcomes

-Prenatal exposures to air pollution on later health outcomes

-Early postnatal exposures to air pollution on health outcomes

-Dose-response relationships between early life exposures to air pollution and health outcomes

Keywords: Prenatal, perinatal, air pollution, criteria air pollutants, hazardous air pollutants, DOHaD theory

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.