Air Pollution may Increase Intellectual Disability among Children, says study

A recent study has claimed that there is a link between intellectual disabilities among children and rising air pollution. The group of researchers involved in the study stressed the impact of outdoor exposure on cognitive development in children.

The study was conducted by Public Health England and was published in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, British. According to the study children with intellectual disabilities are more in number than who live in areas with high outdoor air pollution as compared to those who don't.

For the study, 18,000 children were examined born between 2000 and 2002. The team reached the conclusion from an analysis of data extracted from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study.

"We know that people with intellectual disabilities in the UK have poorer health and die earlier than they should. This research adds another piece to the jigsaw of understanding why that is the case and what needs to be done about it," said lead author and doctor Eric Emerson from The University of Sydney.

Also read: How Effective are Air Purifiers

According to the results of the study, children with intellectual disabilities were 33 percent more likely to live in areas with high levels of diesel particulate matter and 30 percent more likely to live in areas with high levels of nitrogen dioxide.

"These children were 30 percent more likely to live in areas with high levels of carbon monoxide and 17 percent more likely to live in areas with high levels of sulphur dioxide," the findings quoted.

Also read: 6 Ways to Protect your Kids From Air Pollution

As air pollution is very high in Delhi, parents should take preventive measures to protect children from air pollution. Some ways to protect children from air pollution include:

• Do not allow your children to play outside when the pollution is at its peak.
• Give air masks to children when they go outside
• Give more and more fluids to your children
• Keep your indoors clean to avoid indoor pollution as much as possible
• Try to keep purifying plants inside your house
• Give your children the right food that increases their immunity

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