Improved ambient air quality is associated with decreased prevalence of childhood asthma and infancy shortly after weaning is a sensitive exposure window

Background: The urban ambient air quality has been largely improved in the past decade. It is unknown whether childhood asthma prevalence is still increasing in ever top-ranking city of Shanghai, whether the improved air quality is beneficial for children's asthma and what time window of exposure plays critical roles.

Methods: Using a repeat cross-sectional design, we analyzed the association between early life exposure to particles and wheezing/asthma in each individual and combined surveys in 2011 and 2019, respectively, in 11,825 preschool children in Shanghai.

Results: A significantly lower prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma (DDA) (6.6% vs. 10.5%, p < 0.001) and wheezing (10.5% vs. 23.2%, p < 0.001) was observed in 2019 compared to 2011. Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), coarse particles (PM_2.5-10) and inhalable particles (PM₁₀) was decreased in 2019 by 6.3%, 35.4%, and 44.7% in uterus and 24.3%, 20.2%, and 31.8% in infancy, respectively. Multilevel log-binomial regression analysis showed exposure in infancy had independent association with wheezing/DDA adjusting for exposure in uterus. For each interquartile range (IQR) increase of infancy PM_2.5, PM_2.5-10 and PM₁₀ exposure, the odds ratios were 1.39 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24-1.56), 1.51 (95% CI:1.15-1.98) and 1.53 (95% CI:1.27-1.85) for DDA, respectively. The distributed lag non-linear model showed the sensitive exposure window (SEW) was 5.5-11 months after birth. Stratified analysis showed the SEWs were at or shortly after weaning, but only in those with <6 months of exclusive breastfeeding.

Conclusions: Improved ambient PM benefits in decreasing childhood asthma prevalence. We firstly reported the finding of SEW to PM at or closely after weaning on childhood asthma.