Elevated altitude may impact fetal brain
6th November 2012
By Staff writer
The authors studied 2100 children from five South American countries aged 3–24 months.
Those living at a high altitude (>2600m) were more than twice as likely to have problems such as reduced cognitive functioning compared to those at low altitude (<800m), with the effect being more pronounced in girls.
The increased risk may be due to lower oxygen levels and reduced uterine blood flow, the authors said.
J Pediatr 2012; online 22 Oct