Indoor coal use and early childhood growth

January 01, 0001

Indoor coal use and early childhood growth

These Czech and US authors examined whether indoor coal combustion for heating, which releases pollutants into the air, affects early childhood growth in a prospective longitudinal study. They extracted children’s (n=1133) growth measurements from medical records of the children's well-child care visits at age 36 months. Data regarding coal heating were compiled from self-administered questionnaires.

They found: "Adjusted for covariates, indoor coal use was significantly associated with a lower z score for height for age and sex at age 36 months (z score = -0.37). This finding translates into a reduction in height of about 1.34 cm for boys and 1.30 cm for girls raised in homes that used coal. The association between coal use and height was modified by postnatal cigarette smoke exposure."

The authors concluded: "Pollution from indoor coal use may impair early childhood skeletal growth to age 36 months. Because a significant proportion of the world population still uses coal indoors, the finding has public health consequences."

While causality is not demonstrated by this study the concern it raises is considerable and should lead to further studies.

For the full abstract, click here.

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 165(6):492-497, June 2011 © 2011 to the American Medical Association
Indoor Coal Use and Early Childhood Growth. Rakesh Ghosh, E. Amirian, Miroslav Dostal, Radim J. Sram, Irva Hertz- Picciotto. Correspondence to Dr. Hertz-Picciotto: [email protected]

Category: GH. Global Health, T. Endocrine/Metabolic/Nutritional. Keywords: coal, home heating, air pollution, children, growth, prospective cohort study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Linda French, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 21 June 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

COVID-19 Resources

WONCA webinars, journal links and more

WONCA position statements

WONCA statements on a variety of issues

PEARLS

577 Individual behavioural counselling helps people to quit smoking 575 Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements may be beneficial in age-related macular degeneration 574 Oral antifungals effective for toenail onychomycosis 570 Decision aids beneficial for people facing health treatment or screening decisions 569 Computer-generated reminders on paper benefit quality of care