Preconception, prenatal and early childhood exposure to green space and risk of neurodevelopmental delays: a national cohort study among Medicaid enrollees.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Exposure to green space is associated with children's mental health, but its impact on neurodevelopment has been underexplored, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. This study examined the link between exposure to green space before, during, and after pregnancy and neurodevelopmental delays in children enrolled in Medicaid.

Methods

This cohort study of 1,841,915 mother-child pairs used data from the Medicaid Analytic Extract (MAX) from 2001 to 2014, with up to 14 years of follow-up. The population of pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid is characterized by younger age, racial and ethnic diversity, lower income levels, and includes individuals with disabilities. Green space exposure was measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

SUBMITTER: Choi HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12380237 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature