研究员表示:空气污染或增加自闭风险

We do everything possible to keep our kids safe. But, what do you do if the very air they breathe is hurting them? Two new studies have found an association between relatively low levels of air pollution and children's risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

我们竭尽所能护孩子周全。但如果人们赖以呼吸的空气伤害了他们，你又会怎么做呢？两项新研究发现：相对较低的空气污染与儿童患自闭症谱系障碍的风险之间存在关联。

One study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, studied 132,000 births in Vancouver, Canada, from 2004 to 2009. Researchers concluded there was a link between exposure to nitric oxide from car exhaust during pregnancy and greater incidence of childhood ASD.

其中一项研究发表在《美国医学会小儿科》期刊上，研究了从2004年至2009年出生在加拿大温哥华的13.2万名新生儿。研究员得出结论：孕期暴露于汽车尾气排放一氧化氮的环境与儿童患自闭症谱系障碍风险增加有关。

The second study, published in Environmental Epidemiology, observed more than 15,000 infants born in Denmark between 1989 and 2013. It found that air pollution exposure during the first months of life and later was also associated with ASD.

第二项研究发表于《环境流行病学》，观察了1989年至2013年出生于丹麦的1.5万多名婴儿。研究发现：出生前几个月暴露于空气污染环境之下或增加长大后患自闭症谱系障碍的风险。

"The study showed a small increase in autism for infants exposed before birth to one of the pollutants: nitric oxide. While it's a small increase, if large populations are exposed, it could still affect many children," Lynn Singer, PhD, professor of population and quantitative health sciences, pediatrics, psychiatry, and psychology at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, told Healthline.

"研究发现：婴儿出生前暴露于一氧化氮这一污染物使得他们患自闭症的可能性略有增加。虽然是小幅度增长，但如果大量人口处于污染环境中，受影响的儿童将会增多，"俄亥俄州凯斯西储大学医学院人口和定量健康科学，儿科，精神病学和心理学教授林·辛格（Lynn Singer）博士对美国健康在线网说道。

"It confirms some previous research and suggests that air pollution should be studied further regarding how it relates to autism," she added. However, neither study proved that air pollution is causing ASD. The researchers have only found that children in an area with air pollution are at a greater risk.

"这证实了先前的某些研究，表明人们应进一步就空气污染与自闭症之间的关系开展研究，"她补充道。然而，尚未有研究表明空气污染直接导致自闭症。研究员只是发现：处于空气污染地区的儿童患自闭症的可能性更高。

No proof yet on what causes ASD. In recent years there have been a lot of studies claiming to have found a link between one thing or another and an increased risk of ASD. Acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol, is a good example. Research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded there's evidence that using acetaminophen for 28 days or more during pregnancy was linked with a 20 percent increase.

目前尚未证明自闭症谱系障碍的原因。近年来，很多研究声称已发现自闭症谱系障碍风险增加与某些因素之间存在联系。泰诺品牌出售的扑热息痛药就是一个很好的例子。发表在《美国流行病学》杂志上的研究得出结论：有证据表明孕期服用扑热息痛药28天或更久与婴儿自闭症谱系障碍风险增加20%有关。

Sound scary? Of course it does - but is it as bad as it sounds? Maybe not. Relative risk is the chance something will happen to a group of people. Absolute risk tells you your personal risk. This study's findings actually indicate a low level of personal risk.

听上去是不是很吓人？当然了--但的确这么严重吗？也许没有。相对风险是一群人发生某事的几率。绝对风险是个人风险。该研究的结果实际上表明个人风险较低。