Rahul Somvanshi
New research finds that living near green areas is associated with a lower risk of several neurodevelopmental disorders in children. A multi-institution study led by Rutgers University researchers analyzed more than 1.84 million mother-child pairs enrolled in Medicaid across the United States from 2001 to 2014.
The research team measured green space exposure using satellite imaging to assess vegetation levels near mothers’ residential ZIP codes during three key periods: before conception, during pregnancy, and in early childhood.
“Our findings suggest that enhancing green space access in urban environments may support early childhood neurodevelopment and help reduce the burden of neurodevelopmental delays,” said Stefania Papatheodorou, associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and senior author of the study.
Researchers found specific timing matters. Exposure to greenery before conception was associated with reduced risk of intellectual disability, while pregnancy exposure showed the strongest protection against autism spectrum disorder. Early childhood exposure to green spaces was linked to fewer learning difficulties.
The benefits were especially strong for children in urban areas and among Black and Hispanic children. This suggests increasing access to parks and green spaces could help reduce health disparities.
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The study measured vegetation using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which captures greenness levels from satellite images. NDVI ranges from -1 to +1, with values near zero indicating little vegetation and values closer to +1 indicating dense, healthy vegetation.
For each interquartile range increase in green space exposure:
- Preconception greenness reduced intellectual disability risk by 34% (HR 0.66)
- Pregnancy exposure lowered autism risk by 17% (HR 0.83)
- Early childhood exposure decreased learning difficulty risk by 19% (HR 0.81)
Possible pathways include reduced air pollution and noise, lower stress, and increased physical activity — mechanisms suggested by prior research — but this study did not prove causation. The research team controlled for factors including maternal age, race/ethnicity, substance use, temperature, population density, and income levels.
“Increasing green space access could be a potentially modifiable environmental strategy to reduce the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders among children, especially in vulnerable, low-income populations,” Papatheodorou explained.
The researchers noted their study only shows association, not causation, and used ZIP code-level data rather than precise individual measurements. Future research will explore how different types of green spaces—parks, trails, recreational areas—affect brain development.
The study was published in Environment International and funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R01-ES034038).
