Prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants and the occurrence of respiratory disorders in children up to 6 months of age in the State of Rio de Janeiro: exploratory analysis of data from the Pilot Study of the PIPA Project.

The intrinsic relationship between health and the environment has been occupying an increasing space in the world and scientific scenario due to human population growths, which have increased demands on natural resources. With this expansion, pollutants have increasingly been released into the environment, exposing more and more individuals (LANDRIGAN et al., 2018).

Children under 5 years old comprise 26% of the world population and are among the groups most vulnerable to exposure to environmental hazards, which may be responsible for a global disease burden ranging from 31 to 40% (WHO, 2016). More than one in four deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to unhealthy environments (WHO, 2017a).

Environmental exposures may have a greater impact on children compared to adults, as the main organogenesis and organ maturation period occurs in the intrauterine stage and extends into childhood (WHO, 2005a).

The precocity and persistence of toxic aggressions in the child systems or organs before their full maturation can cause transient or permanent physical maturation sequelae and, consequently, on current and future health (WESTWOOD et al., 1983).

In Brazil, respiratory diseases are responsible for 22.3% of all deaths among children aged 1 to 4 years, comprising the main cause of death in this age group (PASSOS, 2018). Worldwide, 570,000 children in this age group die from respiratory infections attributable to air pollution. (WHO, 2017a).