Maternal exposure

Maternal exposure to air pollutants led to low birth weight

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The association between maternal exposure to chemicals and low birth weight has been explored in recent literature. After conducting an international study, researchers at the University of California in San Francisco suggest that women exposed to particulate air pollution tend to influence their infants’ low birth weight.

“What’s significant is that these are air pollution levels to which practically everyone in the world is commonly exposed,” study researcher Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, MPH, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCSF, said in a press release. “These microscopic particles, which are smaller than the width of a human hair, are in the air that we all breathe.”

Woodruff and colleagues utilized data from International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes (ICAPPO) centers at 14 sites in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. They examined effect estimates for term low birth weight (LBW) and continuous birth weight related to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 mcm (PM10) and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 mcm (PM2.5).

According to researchers, other measurements were conducted on estimates of effect across the centers through meta-analysis. Additionally, meta-regression was completed to evaluate the influence of characteristics and exposure assessment methods based on between-center heterogeneity in other reported estimates.

They found that term LBW was associated with a 10 mcg/m3 increase in PM10 (OR=1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05) and PM2.5 (OR=1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.18) exposure throughout the duration of the pregnancy, according to data.

Regarding the fully adjusted random effects meta-analysis, the researchers reported a negative association between the 10 mcg/m3 increase in PM10 with term birth weight as a continuous outcome (–8.9 g; 95% CI, –13.2 to –4.6).

Despite the small associations, the researchers wrote that these findings could be of public health importance due to long-term effects of LBW.