Air Pollution May Be Linked to Autism Risk in Kids, Study Finds
About one in 36 children in the United States are on theautism spectrum, but scientists still don’t know why some kids’ brains develop differently than neurotypical ones.Now, new research suggests that being exposed to certain types of pollution during key developmental periods in pregnancy and early childhood may be a reason.The scientific review, published in the journalBrain Medicine, found that common air pollutants—like fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides—can trigger a series of biological events that may contribute toautism spectrum disorder (ASD)....