Impact/Purpose:

Elevated blood pressure, reduced cognition, behavioral problems, and abnormal somatic growth are significant burdens on individuals, their families and society. We hypothesize that prenatal and postnatal pollution exposures (individual pollutants, sources, or mixtures) will lead to adverse changes in somatic growth, increased blood pressure, reduced cardiovascular fitness, and reduced cognition in children. The strength of the chronic and acute effects of individual pollutants on our outcomes will vary by source and mixture, as well as the timing of prenatal and postnatal exposures. Increased vulnerability or susceptibility to pollution effects on these adverse health outcomes will also result from socioeconomic disparities, stress and violence, environmental tobacco smoke, and reduced maternal and child omega-3 fatty acid intake measured in the prenatal as well as postnatal periods.

Description:

Cognitive deficits and child behavior problems not only impose costs and burdens on children and their families, but also on their school systems. The origins of adult diseases, including elevated blood pressure are in childhood, and environmental controls in childhood may significantly reduce the risk of adult cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases. Therefore, identification of individual pollutants, pollution sources or mixtures that influence childhood blood pressure, cognition and growth is important for regulation and for child and future adult health.

URLs/Downloads:

2012 Progress Report

2011 Progress Report

2010 Progress Report

Record Details:

Record Type:PROJECT( ABSTRACT )

Start Date:01/01/2011

Completion Date:12/31/2015

Record ID: 249466

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Related Organizations:

Role :OWNER

Organization Name :HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Organization Name :APMHEALS

Mailing Address :1350 Massachusetts Ave Rm 458

Citation :Cambridge

State :MA

Zip Code :2138

Project Information:

Approach :

We will test these hypotheses using Project Viva, a unique ongoing pre-birth cohort of over 1,300 children from Greater Boston with longitudinal repeated measures of somatic growth, blood pressure, and cognition. Families were recruited between 1999 and 2002, during the first trimester of pregnancy. Primary longitudinal growth outcomes for Project Viva will include weight-for-length z-score and change in weight-for-length (birth through to age 2); body-mass index z-score and change in body-mass index (2 yr through 10 yr of age). Blood pressure is measured at birth, 6 months, 3 yr, and 7 yr; cardiovascular fitness is assessed by Step Testing at 7 yr. Cognition is assessed as visual memory at 6 mo, 3 yr and 7 yr; language at 3 yr and 7 yr; intelligence at 7 yr; and behavior at 7 yr. Chronic systemic inflammation is a well- documented risk factor for high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, and dysregulation of growth. Our Secondary Aim is to explore the effects exposures to individual pollutants, sources, and mixtures on intermediate immune and endocrine responses, including cord blood mononuclear cell (CBMC) lymphoproliferative responses, and innate (IL-6, TNF-a), adaptive Thl(IFN-y), and Th2(IL-13) CBMC responses to stimulation with the mitogen PHA; dust mite, and cockroach allergen; allergic sensitization (3 and 7 yr) and inflammation-related adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) levels (birth, 3 and 7 yr).

Cost :$.00

Research Component :Health Effects

Project IDs:

ID Code :R834798C004

Project type :Center