Asthma Risk in Children Raised by Traffic Pollution Exposure of Pregnant Mothers

Asthma rates in developed nations are soaring, and it is extremely clear that environmental pollution has a big part to play in the increase. A study recently published in the journal PLoS ONE has revealed that traffic pollution could cause genetic changes in a pregnant woman's womb, raising her child's likelihood of getting asthma later.Asthma StatisticsAs at 2005, it was estimated that 20 million Americans had asthma, while 2002 figures indicated that some 9 million American children under the age of 18 had an asthma diagnosis. Asthma rates soared 75% from 1980 to 1994, while, more alarmingly, asthma rates in children aged under 5 ballooned more than 160% in the same period. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that one in ten children has asthma.Details and Findings of StudyThe study team had looked at the umbilical cord blood of 56 children, specifically looking at a gene called ACSL3. Using backpack air monitors, they also tracked the pregnant mothers' exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which is a by-product of the combustion process; PAHs are present in high amounts in areas with dense traffic.And the research team discovered a strong link between the degree of PAH exposure and chemical changes which control the activation of the said gene. This is an example of an "epigenetic change", whereby environmental factors influence gene activity but do not directly modify their structure or cause the genes to mutate."Our data support the concept that environmental exposures can interact with genes during key developmental periods to trigger disease onset later in life, and that tissues are being reprogrammed to become abnormal later," said Dr Shuk-mei Ho, the director of the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati and also the leader of the study.Findings Could Help With Early Diagnosis of AsthmaResearch conducted in the past had suggested that the ACSL3 gene has a role to play in cell membrane structures. And while more detailed study into its role in asthma may be needed, the findings of this study could help with diagnosing pollution-related asthma."We know that children living in polluted areas have a higher incidence of asthma but what we didn't know was it was affecting a gene. If you look at cord blood and you find the gene has been modified you know the child is more likely to get asthma so you can treat them early," said Dr Keith Prowse, the vice-president of the British Lung Foundation.The Pollution-Asthma LinkPrevious studies have shown up a link between exposure to environmental pollution during one's younger years and higher asthma risk; asthma rates are also higher in areas with heavier vehicular traffic. A recent University of Southern California study, for example, had found that traffic pollution could heighten a child's risk of getting asthma, if he or she has certain genes which could make him or her susceptible. That study, which was published in Thorax, had analyzed the health and genetic information of about 3,000 children.The truth is, not all experts are convinced of why the pollution-asthma link exists, or if it even exists in the first place. While they are still making up their minds, what is clear is that polluted air triggers symptoms in asthmatics; on the flip side, cleaner air has helped many of them feel much better. If someone has asthma troubles or is at risk, the quality of air he or she breathes should definitely be one of the first things looked into.

SourcesPollution link to asthma in womb (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7888735.stm)Pollution 'may boost asthma risk' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6957139.stm)Statistics from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology website at Aaaai.org

Obese teens as likely as smokers to die early…

Likening obesity’s risks to those of smoking, a large European study spanning decades (published in the March, 2009 edition of the British Medical Journal) has found that young men who were overweight at age 18 were as likely to die by 60 as light smokers, while obese teens, like heavy smokers, were at double the risk of dying early.

Children Eat Their Veggies When Parents Do

Parents can increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that their children eat simply by eating more plant foods themselves, according to a study conducted by researchers from the St. Louis University School of Public Health and published in the journal Preventive Medicine."When parents eat more fruits and vegetables, so do their children," lead researcher Dr. Debra Haire-Joshu said. "When parents eat and give their children high fat snacks or soft drinks, children learn these eating patterns instead."Researchers studied 1,306 parents enrolled in the national Parents As Teachers program. In addition to the regular parenting skills taught by the program, just under half of the parents also took part in the High 5 for Kids program. This program involved four home visits in which parents received education on nutrition and on ways to get their young children to eat more fruits and vegetables. Methods taught included eating fruits and vegetables in front of children and letting kids select their own food from among several fruit and vegetable options.They found that parents who participated in the High 5 for Kids program increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables relative to those who did not. Furthermore, the amount by which parents increased their fruit and vegetable intake correlated directly with how much their children's intake increased. For every extra fruit or vegetable serving per day that a parent ate, their child ate an extra half serving."This research shows that it's important to communicate with parents in real world settings," Haire-Joshu said. "They control the food environment for their young child. This environment is key to not only what children eat today but how they will eat in the future."Increased vegetable intake among parents of obese children, however, did not have any same effect."Overweight children have already been exposed to salty, sweet foods and learned to like them," Haire-Joshu said. "To keep a child from becoming overweight, parents need to expose them early to a variety of health foods and offer the foods many times."Sources for this story include: http://www.sciencedaily.com;/ http://www.reuters.com/.

Study Links Enzyme Disorder with Neurological Health

When Little Johnny Shouldn’t Drink Milk…

(January 1, 2009, Canton, GA). The results of a decade long study conducted in the Norwegian town of Stavanger offers this simplistic option to parents with children suffering from hyperactive disorders including ADHD: Change their diet.

23 children from Norway’s southwestern region — ages four to 11 and all diagnosed with hyperactive disorders — were put on milk-free and/or gluten-free diets based on theories developed by Dr. Karl Ludvig Reichelt. Reichelt believes that children afflicted with such disorders suffer from a metabolic problem that hinders the adequate breakdown of certain proteins. So, eating certain foods like milk and gluten may accelerate ADHD (and other disorders) because these children lack an enzyme that breaks down proteins like casein (which is found in milk and enables milk-clotting to make cheese). Reichelt felt that reducing the intake of foods containing proteins would assist proper digestion thus allowing the patients’ hyperactivity to be controlled.

22 of the Norwegian children taken off milk products and other foods containing casein showed an almost immediate improvement in their mental health (including overall behavior), an enhanced attention span plus increased learning capabilities. But, the symptoms returned as soon as the foods were reintroduced into their diets. Most of those involved in the study had been taking medications like Ritalin to treat their diagnosed disorders prior to changing their diets. However, after adjusting their food intake, they were soon taken off the medicine.

Long-term monitoring of these children has found their disorders to be manageable while the challenges they once faced have virtually disappeared.

The study’s result came as no surprise to Dr. Mike Headlee, a Canton-based chiropractor. “There are three types of stress that impact how our bodies perform. Psychological stress is commonly enhanced by money problems, struggling relationships or issues at work. Our ability to deal with those problems has a positive impact on our bodies. Physical stress is remedied by how we care for our bodies through exercise, etc. The children described in the study battled bio-chemical stress fueled by what they put into their bodies. The food and medicines we intake directly affect how we function,” states Headlee.





Similar international research has already linked the protein disorder with autism and schizophrenia. Now, this study points to ADHD and its kind stemming from the same digestive disorder.

“Be fit. Eat right. Think well. That’s the road towards good health. Like those 22 children in Norway, it is often enough to simply adjust our diets before administrating any medications. The old cliché, ‘You are what you eat,’ is a fairly accurate statement,” concluded a smiling Headlee.




Reference:
“Diet Changes Give Hyperactive Kids New Taste for Life in Norway,” by Nina Larson, AFP and Yahoo! News, Feb. 24, 2008.