Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and reduced birth size: a prospective birth cohort study in Valencia, Spain

Abstract

BackgroundMaternal exposure to air pollution has been related to fetal growth in a number of recent scientific studies. The objective of this study was to assess the association between exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and anthropometric measures at birth in a cohort in Valencia, Spain.MethodsSeven hundred and eighty-five pregnant women and their singleton newborns participated in the study. Exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was estimated by means of land use regression. NO2 spatial estimations were adjusted to correspond to relevant pregnancy periods (whole pregnancy and trimesters) for each woman. Outcome variables were birth weight, length, and head circumference (HC), along with being small for gestational age (SGA). The association between exposure to residential outdoor NO2 and outcomes was assessed controlling for potential confounders and examining the shape of the relationship using generalized additive models (GAM).ResultsFor continuous anthropometric measures, GAM indicated a change in slope at NO2 concentrations of around 40 μg/m3. NO2 exposure >40 μg/m3 during the first trimester was associated with a change in birth length of -0.27 cm (95% CI: -0.51 to -0.03) and with a change in birth weight of -40.3 grams (-96.3 to 15.6); the same exposure throughout the whole pregnancy was associated with a change in birth HC of -0.17 cm (-0.34 to -0.003). The shape of the relation was seen to be roughly linear for the risk of being SGA. A 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 during the second trimester was associated with being SGA-weight, odds ratio (OR): 1.37 (1.01-1.85). For SGA-length the estimate for the same comparison was OR: 1.42 (0.89-2.25).ConclusionsPrenatal exposure to traffic-related air pollution may reduce fetal growth. Findings from this study provide further evidence of the need for developing strategies to reduce air pollution in order to prevent risks to fetal health and development.

Impact of air pollution on pregnancy duration, birth outcomes and children’s health: Polish Mother and Child Cohort

“…In fully adjusted random-effects meta-analyses a 10 μg/m 3 increase in PM 10 was associated with decreased term birthweight (-8.9g; 95%CI-13.2 to -4.6) [3]. Similarly to our analysis, but based on NO 2 concentration in ambient air, results of the Ballester study revealed that pollution was associated with change in birth length of -0.3 cm (95%CI-0.5 to -0.03) [17].…”

“…Results of several analyses performed based on a subsample of REPRO_PL, concerning the prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (based on variety of metabolites) and its impact on pregnancy outcomes and children's health were published earlier [17][18][19][20]. Those analyses in consistency to PM10 assessment indicate that Polish pregnant women suffer from a higher PAH exposure level than those in other western countries with living in the city centres, usage of coal for residential heating and passive smoking as significant predictors of PAH metabolites [18].…”

Impact of Air Pollution on Public Health

“…These results suggest an association between VLBW (below 1500g) and maternal exposures to high levels of sulfur dioxide [46,60]. Increased risk of intrauterine growth retardation was observed also in case of maternal exposure to nitrogen dioxide during the first month of pregnancy [65]. An association between exposure to levels of nitrogen dioxide above 40 µg/m 3 during the first trimester of pregnancy and a reduction in birth weight was found [66].…”

Assessment of variations in benzene concentration produced from vehicles and gas stations in Tehran using GIS

“…Payne-Sturges et al (2004) compared the measured and modelled exposure levels of VOCs in GIS environment. Many studies have used the spatial analytical function of GIS in studying the atmospheric environment of cities by integrating GIS with atmospheric environmental models (Wu et al 2011;Ballester et al 2010;Aguilera et al 2009;An et al 2008;Tang and Wang 2007).…”