Environmental Determinants of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children
Beyond genetics, a range of environmental and social factors—chemical exposures, poor nutrition, poverty, and violence—all contribute to neurodevelopmental disorder risk.
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An estimated 317 million children—10 to 15 per cent globally—live with a neurodevelopmental disorder, and rates are highest in low- and middle-income countries. Rates of some NDDs have increased, likely due to both improved diagnostic methods and an increase in prenatal and early childhood exposures to environmental pollutants known to be harmful to the developing brain, including metals, pesticides and endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Support is needed for additional research to more accurately characterize NDD prevalence through validated, culturally appropriate screening tools and biomonitoring to quantify environmental chemical exposures in under-resourced countries. The prioritization of programmes and policies that support healthy pregnancies and ensure that air, drinking water, foods and consumer goods are free of neurotoxicants can help to protect children’s developing brains.
