New Delhi: The effect of pollution in the heart and steady lungs, but the doctor said there was more evidence showing that prolonged exposure to pollutants could damage the child’s brain.
Material particles (PM) less than 2.5 micrometers in seased sizes in the air can enter the brain through the nerves of the smell directly and damage the brain.
Also, various contaminated air components such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc.
can dissolve in the blood and reach the brain.
According to Dr.
Sheffali Gulati, Professor and Head of the Child Neurology Division in AIIMS, fine particulate things can activate Microglia, the main default immune effect of the central nervous system (CNS), on the brain, which leads to the inflammatory response to the accumulation of protein in the brain .
“It can cause the initial aging process of the brain to children at a very young age,” he said.
Dr.
Gulati added that animal studies showed that inflammatory infiltrates were significantly observed in various areas of the brain due to exposure to toxic elements in the air.
Doctor AIIMS said another significant effect of air pollution in the child’s brain was seen through the mother.
“In children who are born to mothers who are exposed to air polluted significantly during their pregnancy, the incidence of autism spectrum disorders, attention disorders of attention, other behavioral problems such as anxiety, depression, etc.
higher than control,” he explained.
In 2017, UN children’s funds (UNICEF) have released reports that warn about serious consequences of children because of exposure to prolonged air pollution.
The UNICEF report, titled Danger in the air, explains that brain damage can occur through several mechanisms.
First, stated, the material particulate can cause neuro-inflammation by damaging the blood-brain barrier – thin and smooth membranes that protect the brain from toxic substances.
Second, exposure to air pollutant particles such as magnetite can cause oxidative stress, which is often the cause of neurodegenerative disease.
“Not only pollutants endanger the lungs that develop babies, but they can also damage their growing brains and, thus, their future,” said Executive Director of Unicef ​​Anthony Lake.