title: Indoor air pollution from gas cooking and infant neurodevelopment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gas cooking is a main source of indoor air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide and particles. Because concerns are emerging for neurodevelopmental effects of air pollutants, we examined the relationship between indoor gas cooking during pregnancy and infant neurodevelopment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant mothers were recruited between 2004 and 2008 to a prospective birth cohort study (INfancia y Medio Ambiente) in Spain during the first trimester of pregnancy. Third-trimester questionnaires collected information about the use of gas appliances at home. At age 11 to 22 months, children were assessed for mental development using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Linear regression models examined the association of gas cooking and standardized mental development scores (n = 1887 mother-child pairs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gas cookers were present in 44% of homes. Gas cooking was related to a small decrease in the mental development score compared with use of other cookers (-2.5 points [95% confidence interval = -4.0 to -0.9]) independent of social class, maternal education, and other measured potential confounders. This decrease was strongest in children tested after the age of 14 months (-3.1 points [-5.1 to -1.1]) and when gas cooking was combined with less frequent use of an extractor fan. The negative association with gas cooking was relatively consistent across strata defined by social class, education, and other covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests a small adverse effect of indoor air pollution from gas cookers on the mental development of young children.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Spain. mvrijheid@creal.cat
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrijheid
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Inma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.forename: Mariona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Estarlich
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Somoano
authors.forename: Mònica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guxens
authors.forename: Nerea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lertxundi
authors.forename: M Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Adonina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tardon
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D003296:Cooking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005579:Fossil Fuels / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D005579:Fossil Fuels