妊娠中の山火事煙への曝露と子どもの自閉症リスク上昇との関連を発見(Researchers Tie Exposure to Wildfire Smoke During Pregnancy to Higher Risk of Autism)

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2026-10-27 ラトガース大学

米国ラトガース大学公衆衛生大学院などの研究チームは、妊娠中の山火事煙への曝露が、出生した子どもの自閉スペクトラム症(ASD)の診断リスク上昇と関連することを、大規模な疫学研究で明らかにした。米国のメディケイド加入者を対象に、母子89万3,212組の医療記録と、妊娠中の居住地域における山火事由来の微小粒子状物質PM2.5濃度を解析した。その結果、妊娠期間中の山火事由来PM2.5濃度が0.75 μg/m³上昇するごとに、子どものASD診断リスクは約30%高くなることが示された。関連は特に妊娠中期から後期の曝露で強かった。一方、注意欠如・多動症(ADHD)については明確な関連が認められなかった。山火事の煙は発生地点から遠く離れた地域にも到達するため、目に見える煙がなくても曝露する可能性がある。妊娠中の大気汚染対策の重要性を示す成果だが、観察研究であり、煙がASDを引き起こす因果関係を証明したものではない。

<関連情報>

妊娠中の山火事由来PM2.5への曝露とメディケイド加入児童におけるASDおよびADHDのリスク Prenatal Exposure to Wildfire PM2.5 and Risk of ASD and ADHD in Children Enrolled in Medicaid

Stefania Papatheodorou, MD, PhD; Hayon Michelle Choi, PhD; Krista F. Huybrechts, MS, PhD; et al
JAMA Pediatrics  Published:October 26, 2026
DOI:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.5045

Abstract

Importance  Wildfires are an increasing source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), yet evidence on prenatal wildfire smoke exposure and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes remains limited.

Objective  To examine whether prenatal exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5 is associated with risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Design, Setting, and Participants  This was a population-based cohort study of the US nationwide Medicaid population using Medicaid Analytic Extract (MAX) data from 2007 to 2014 with follow-up through childhood. Included were mother-child pairs with continuous enrollment and stable residential zip code during pregnancy.

Exposure  Weekly wildfire smoke–attributable PM2.5 at 1-km2 resolution, aggregated to the zip code level across pregnancy.

Main Outcomes and Measures  Incident ASD and ADHD identified using validated claims-based algorithms. Associations were estimated using Cox proportional-hazards models with distributed lag nonlinear models.

Results  A total of 893 212 mother-child pairs (mother mean [SD] age, 24.7 [5.9] years) were included in this analysis. Children entered the cohort at birth (452 218 [50.6%] male). Mean (SD) observed follow-up was 6.3 (2.4) years for children diagnosed with ASD and 7.1 (1.9) years for children diagnosed with ADHD. Among 893 212 children, 8357 were diagnosed with ASD and 22 302 with ADHD. The cumulative incidence until age 8 years was 1.9% for ASD and 10.4% for ADHD. An IQR increase in cumulative wildfire PM2.5 exposure (0.75 µg/m3) during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of ASD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.30; 95% CI, 1.07-1.59) but not ADHD (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.91-1.17). Associations for ASD were strongest during midpregnancy to late gestation compared with early gestation. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions and Relevance  Results of this cohort study show that prenatal exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5 may be associated with increased risk of ASD but not ADHD. These findings highlight the potential neurodevelopmental impacts of wildfire smoke and underscore the need for strategies to reduce exposure during pregnancy as wildfire activity intensifies.

医療・健康
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