PAT-PM-1

There is currently a paucity of research on the effects of early life exposure to particulate matter (PM) of various size fractions on pneumonia in preschool-aged children. We explored the connections between antenatal and postnatal exposure to atmospheric pollutants and diagnosed pneumonia among 4814 offspring children in Taiyuan City, northern China. Outdoor air pollutant concentrations and ambient temperature were collected. A machine learning-based model was utilized to compute daily mean concentrations of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM₁ at the home address. Associations were calculated using generalized linear mixed models, and stratified analysis was used to detect sensitive subpopulations. We observed significant associations between prenatal exposure to atmospheric pollutants and the incidence of pneumonia in children. For every 10 μg/m³ increase, the odds ratios (ORs) were 1.06 for PM₁₀, 1.15 for PM_2.5, 1.24 for PM₁, and 1.05 for SO₂ for the whole pregnancy period. In mid-pregnancy, the most vital connections were found for PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM₁ exposure. Girls showed higher sensitivity to exposure to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. The most significant connections between PM and pneumonia were observed at high SO₂ exposure. Connections between PM₁, PM_2.5 and pneumonia were stronger in children without environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home. Associations between PM₁₀ and pneumonia were stronger in children with ETS at home. The synthesis of the data suggests that exposure to PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁, and SO₂ during pregnancy contributes to an elevated susceptibility to childhood pneumonia. The second trimester period is significant and represents a critical window of vulnerability. PM₁ may have the strongest impact. Exposure to SO₂ can further enhance the PM related risks of pneumonia. Gender and ETS exposure at home can modify associations between outdoor PM and pneumonia. Further reductions in outdoor PM, especially PM₁, are needed to reduce childhood pneumonia in China.