Exposure to air pollution and chemicals during fetal life, connections to epigenetics and asthma and allergy risk– Studies in the prospective birth cohort NorthPop.

The aim of this project is to identify chemical exposures that are common during fetal development and use this information to understand the mechanisms underlying the observed societal increase in asthma and allergy.

In addition, we will evaluate whether epigenetic changes (in the form of DNA methylation in cord blood) can explain why some children are more sensitive than others.The project is made possible using data and samples from the unique and newly established population-based birth cohort NorthPop in Västerbotten, from which 726 mother-child pairs have been selected and will now be followed for at least 7-years.

Air pollution levels will be based on the mothers home address during pregnancy, and chemical pollutants measured in plasma collected during pregnancy. Based on this information high and low exposed women will be identified. The exposure profiles are then connected to genome wide DNA methylation in cord blood.

Finally, we will test potential associations between exposures/DNA methylation patterns and later risk of childhood asthma and allergies.This project is uniquely designed to evaluate the impact of the fetal exposome (in the form of air pollution and chemical exposures) and maternal lifestye on later allergy risk in children and on their epigenetic profile during development.

The extensive follow up makes it possible to identify driving mechanisms behind potentially harmful effects and can contribute to a better basis for definition of unsafe levels.