Prenatal and postnatal exposure to NO2 and rapid infant weight gain – A population‐based cohort study

This study investigated the connection between prenatal and postnatal exposure to ambient NO2 pollution, a traffic-related marker, and rapid weight gain in infants. Analyzing data from over 474,000 infants in Israel, researchers found that higher NO2 exposure during pregnancy and the first four weeks of life was linked to an increased risk of rapid weight gain in infants. This weight gain occurred from mid-pregnancy to birth for prenatal exposure. The study highlights that both prenatal and postnatal exposure to traffic-related air pollution independently contributes to rapid infant weight gain, a risk factor for childhood overweight and obesity.