Air pollution increases hospital admission risk for autistic children, study suggests

Admissions for issues such as hyperactivity, aggression, or self-injury may be prevented by minimising children’s exposure to air pollution, the report says. Photograph: Malcolm Park/Alamy

Autistic children face an increased risk of hospitalisation if exposed to air pollution for relatively brief periods, with boys more at risk than girls, new research suggests.

Admissions for issues such as hyperactivity, aggression or self-injury may be prevented by minimising their exposure, and cutting air pollution levels could lower the risks, the researchers behind the study concluded. The findings were published in the journal BMJ Open.