Air pollution may be tied to preterm births
Key points
- Pregnant women who are exposed to low levels of air pollution seem to have an increased risk of giving birth before term, Australian researchers report.
- Hansen, of the University of Queensland, Brisbane and colleagues studied data on 28,200 live births in Brisbane for the period of July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2003.
- There were a total of 1583 preterm births (5.6 percent), defined as gestation of less than 37 weeks, the researchers report in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
- A significantly higher percentage of preterm infants were born during winter.
Pregnant women who are exposed to low levels of air pollution seem to have an increased risk of giving birth before term, Australian researchers report.
Dr. C. Hansen, of the University of Queensland, Brisbane and colleagues studied data on 28,200 live births in Brisbane for the period of July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2003. The team calculated the average maternal exposure for ambient particulate matter (PM10), ozone, and nitrogen dioxide over the first three months after the last menstrual period and the last three months before birth.
There were a total of 1583 preterm births (5.6 percent), defined as gestation of less than 37 weeks, the researchers report in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
A significantly higher percentage of preterm infants were born during winter. Exposure to PM10 during the first trimester was associated with a 15 percent increased risk of preterm birth. Exposure to ozone was linked to a 26 percent increased risk.
The researchers also found that the PM10 exposure effect associated with the first trimester was strongly linked to exposure during the first month after the last menstrual period.
Although overall the effect was small, and did not reach significance from a statistical standpoint, the investigators stress that the ambient air pollution concentrations were also relatively low.
SOURCE: British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, September 2006.
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Pregnancy & Fertility →
NewsPrenatal DHA reduces early preterm birth, low birth weight
University of Kansas researchers have found that the infants of mothers who were given 600 milligrams of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA during pregnancy weighed more at birth and were less likely to be very low birth weight…
27 February 2013
NewsStudy links smoking bans to fewer pre-term births
Banning smoking in enclosed public places can lead to lower rates of preterm birth, according to Belgian researchers who say the findings point to health benefits of smoke-free laws even in very early life. It is well…
16 February 2013
NewsTeen births continue to decline in U.S
The number of U.S. babies born to teen mothers dropped to record lows in 2011, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fewer women also gave birth in their 20s than in prior years,…
12 February 2013
