Association between moderated level of air pollution and fetal growth: the potential role of noise exposure

Abstract

This study aims to analyze, in a population of singletons, the potential confounding or modifying effect of noise on the relationship between fetal growth restriction (FGR) or small for gestational age (SGA) and environmental exposure to air pollution. All women with single pregnancies living in one of two medium-sized cities (Besançon, Dijon) and who delivered at a university hospital between 2005 and 2009 were included. FGR and SGA were obtained from medical records. Outdoor residential exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10) was quantified at the mother’s address at delivery over defined pregnancy periods; outdoor noise exposure was considered to be the annual average daily noise levels in the façade of building (LAeq,24 h). Adjusted odds ratios (ORa) were estimated by multivariable logistic regressions. Among the 8994 included pregnancies, 587 presented FGR and 918 presented SGA. In the two-exposure models, for SGA, the ORa for a 10-µg/m3 increase of PM10 during the two last months before delivery was 1.18, 95%CI 1.00–1.41 and for FGR, these ORa were for the first and the third trimesters, and the two last months before delivery: 0.77 (0.61–0.97), 1.38 (1.12–1.70), and 1.35 (1.11–1.66), respectively. Noise was not associated with SGA or FGR and did not confound the relationship between air pollution and SGA or FGR. These results are in favor of an association between PM10 exposure and fetal growth, independent of noise, particularly towards the end of pregnancy, and of a lack of association between noise and fetal growth.

The Impact of Environmental and Occupational Noise on Maternal and Perinatal Pregnancy Outcomes

“…Exposure to environmental noise from factories, trains, and airplanes before conception and during pregnancy has been associated with delayed time to achieve pregnancy 33 . Numerous studies have investigated how noise affects both fetal growth and embryogenic size; however, some studies have shown effects of noise on growth, whereas others have not shown any effects 6–12 . Currently, the effects, if any, on noise exposure and embryonic/fetal growth remain uncertain.…”

“…33 Numerous studies have investigated how noise affects both fetal growth and embryogenic size; however, some studies have shown effects of noise on growth, whereas others have not shown any effects. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Currently, the effects, if any, on noise exposure and embryonic/fetal growth remain uncertain.…”

Exposure to Traffic Density during Pregnancy and Birth Weight in a National Cohort, 2000–2017

“…Also, their harmful effect on birth outcomes have been displayed in several studies [ 2 , 10 , 11 , 12 ], and it has been estimated that about 100,000 of deaths per year worldwide could be linked to this exposure [ 9 ]. Recent meta-analyses have highlighted the significant association between air pollution due to traffic and LBW [ 13 , 14 , 15 ] and more studies have shown how adverse birth effects were linked to maternal residential proximity to a mayor traffic density area, to heavy traffic lights, to bus stations, and to several ring and major roads [ 9 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. To support this evidence, it has been shown that air pollution can lead to an increase in cell proliferation, organ development changes and modification on fetal metabolism, that can cause especial vulnerability and damage during the states of pregnancy and the neonatal period [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”