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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are air pollutants from sources such as diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles, oil and coal combustion, and tobacco smoke. In this study, researchers asked whether exposure to PAHs during pregnancy could affect childhood brain morphology, measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The researchers recruited nonsmoking African American or Dominican women from New York City prenatal clinics to complete an exposure questionnaire and wear a monitor for 48 hours during the third trimester of pregnancy to estimate PAH exposure. The researchers identified a subcohort of the women's children with a range of prenatal PAH exposure but low exposure to other toxic chemicals. From this group, 40 children underwen…