title: Prenatal and postnatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and allergy symptoms in city children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies indicate that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is associated with adverse respiratory and allergy outcomes. Exposure to PAH may impair the immune function of the foetus and, subsequently, be responsible for an increased susceptibility of children to allergic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to assess the association between mother's exposure to PAH during pregnancy and allergy diseases in their infants. We also assessed the above associations using measured PAH exposure in children's urine during the first two years of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current analysis was restricted to 455 mothers and their children from Lodz district. The women were interviewed three times during the pregnancy in order to collect demographic, socio-economic and medical history data. Children's health status was assessed at the age of 10-18 months and repeated at two years of age. The associations between dependent dichotomous variables and urine concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) were analysed using logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We showed that higher urine concentrations of 1-HP in mothers at 20-24 weeks of pregnancy increased the risk of more frequent respiratory infections (p=0.02) in children during their first year of life. Higher 1-HP concentrations in children's urine increased the risk of food allergy (p=0.002) in children during their first two years of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests awareness of environmental factors, which may affect children's health since PAH showed to be a risk factor for airway infections and food allergy in children after adjustment for other risk factors.
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Allergy, Medical University of Lodz, Copernicus Memorial Hospital in Lodz, Poland.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Jerzynska
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Allergy, Medical University of Lodz, Copernicus Memorial Hospital in Lodz, Poland.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Podlecka
authors: Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Polanska
authors: Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Hanke
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Allergy, Medical University of Lodz, Copernicus Memorial Hospital in Lodz, Poland.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Stelmach
authors: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. Electronic address: alergol@kopernik.lodz.pl.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Stelmach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000652:urine; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011721:Pyrenes; C033146:1-hydroxypyrene
keywords: Allergy; Children; Infections; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Prenatal exposure