Pregnancy outcome and ultraviolet radiation; A systematic review

Abstract

The evidence for UV having benefits for pregnancy hypertension and fetal growth is limited by the methodological approaches utilized. Future epidemiological efforts should focus on improving the methods of modeling and linking widely available environmental data to reproductive health outcomes.

Higher Sun Exposure in the First Trimester Is Associated With Reduced Preterm Birth; A Scottish Population Cohort Study Using Linked Maternity and Meteorological Records

“…Their methodology used a statewide average measure of the UV index as the exposure variable and aggregated statewide data and found that as average annual UV increased, the disparity in preterm birth rates between white and non-Hispanic black women increased concluding that in the US the socioeconomic factors co-vary with the UV index and that sunlight availability (which they considered an instrument for photosynthesis of Vitamin D) were not responsible for the race-based disparities in preterm birth. This study methodology strives to refine the limitations of Thayer's study using highly granular environmental data in both space and time, linked at an individual level, alongside a less racially varied study population, which may account for significantly different findings in this study ( 8 ). The effect of an annual average UV index alone does not overcome patterning of births related to social disparity and does not contradict this study finding that available early pregnancy sunlight may be protective for preterm birth.…”

“…However, sun exposure in pregnancy remains mainly incidental and unconsidered. Although there have been relatively few studies, a systematic review of sun exposure and pregnancy outcomes found associations with fetal growth restriction, blood pressure, and preterm birth rates (7,8), with higher first trimester sunlight correlating with higher fetal birth weights and less hypertensive complications in the third trimester (8). The postulated mechanisms were related to vitamin D generation by sun exposure, deficiency of which in pregnancy is associated with low birth weight, preterm birth, and hypertensive complications of pregnancy (9).…”

Aspectos epidemiológicos de alterações pigmentares e de fotoproteção entre gestantes atendidas na atenção básica em municí­pio do interior paulista

“…Também, vale considerar que a exposição solar é importante para a saúde da gestante e do feto e sobre vários fatores, tais como produção de vitamina D, além de benefícios sobre os níveis pressóricos de gestantes e crescimento do feto, desde que realizada de forma correta e consciente [4,13,[19][20][21][22].…”

“…Outro fator a considerar é a orientação sobre a importância da realização de autoexame cutâneo, a fim de detectar o surgimento de nevos melanocíticos ou outras alterações que, se tratadas previamente reduz significativamente os riscos para mãe e para o feto, contribuindo assim para a promoção da saúde e melhoria da qualidade de vida dessas gestantes e de toda sua prole [3,[19][20][21][22].…”

Prenatal exposure to solar radiation and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

“…The biological function of sunlight may support this hypothesis: ultraviolet radiation A (UVA) is related to the increase in angiogenic substances such as nitric oxide (NO) 15,16 and ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) is responsible for the photochemical synthesis of vitamin D, 17 which has been studied as a potential prophylactic for pre‐eclampsia 18 . However, similar research is still very limited 19 . We examined the association between solar radiation exposure at several critical gestational windows during pregnancy and risks of HDP.…”