Urban air pollution negatively impacts fetal growth

An epidemiologic study by researchers at Brown University shows a strong association between air pollution and reduced fetal growth.  And the greater the exposure to pollution, the bigger the negative impact, according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

More than 250,000 births in New York, New York from 2008 to 2010 were included in the study, which looked at how exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter and nitrogen dioxide might affect birthweight. The population was restricted to term births to nonsmokers. Validated models that accounted for spatial and temporal factors were used to assign exposure at residential locations and adjustments were made for individual and contextual sociodemographic characteristics and season.

The researchers found that for each 10-μg/m³ increase in exposure to particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 μm, birthweights declined by 18.4, 10.5, 29.7 and 48.4 g for exposures in the first, second, and third trimesters and for the total pregnancy, respectively. Each 10-ppb increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide was linked with a decline of 14.2, 15.9, 18.0 and 18.0 g of birthweight in the first, second, and third trimesters and for the total pregnancy, respectively.

The results, the authors say, strongly support an association between urban air pollution exposure and reduced fetal growth and point to a need to continue to reduce air pollution from sources such as cars, trucks, and power plants.

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