NEW YORK (August 20, 2012)

Exposure to air pollution in the womb and continuing exposure during early childhood increase risk for development of non-atopic asthma, according to a study by researchers at Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health  at the Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Pyrene -a harmful component of air pollution- is a type of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that most commonly results from traffic emissions, burning of heating oil and indoor air pollution sources such as environmental tobacco smoke.

Previous research by the Center has found an association between prenatal exposure to PAHs and respiratory problems and asthma in young children. Most research on asthma has focused on atopic asthma-asthma that is associated with an allergic response-yet non-atopic asthma accounts for an estimated 31-59% of childhood asthma cases. The present study addresses this research gap. See More Here.