Relation between Ambient Air Pollution and Low Birth Weight in the Northeastern United States

Environmental Health Perspectives v.109, s.3, Jun01

Mildred Maisonet,¹ Timothy J. Bush,² Adolfo Correa,^1,3 and Jouni J.K. Jaakkola^1,4

¹Department of Epidemiology, School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; ²National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; ³National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; ⁴Environmental Health Program, The Nordic School of Public Health, Göteborg, Sweden

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Abstract
We evaluated the relation between term low birth weight (LBW) and ambient air levels of carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter up to 10 µm in diameter (PM₁₀), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). The study population consisted of singleton, term live births (37-44 weeks of gestation) born between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1996 in six northeastern cities of the United States: Boston, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Washington, DC. Birth data were obtained from National Center for Health Statistics Natality Data Sets. Infants with a birth weight < 2,500 g were classified as LBW. Air monitoring data obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were used to estimate average trimester exposures to ambient CO, PM₁₀, and SO₂. Our results suggest that exposures to ambient CO and SO₂ increase the risk for term LBW. This risk increased by a unit increase in CO third trimester average concentration [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06,1.62]. Infants with SO₂ second trimester exposures falling within the 25 and < 50th (AOR 1.21; CI 1.07,1.37), the 50 to < 75th (AOR 1.20; CI 1.08,1.35), and the 75 to < 95th (AOR 1.21; CI 1.03,1.43) percentiles were also at increased risk for term LBW when compared to those in the reference category (< 25th percentile). There was no indication of a positive association between prenatal exposures to PM₁₀ and term LBW. Increased ambient levels of air pollution may be associated with an increased risk for LBW. Key words: air pollution, carbon monoxide, epidemiology, health effects, low birth weight, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide. -- Environ Health Perspect 109(suppl 3):351-356 (2001).

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/suppl-3/351-356maisonet/abstract.html

Address correspondence to M. Maisonet, Pan American Center for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Los Pinos 259, Urb. Camacho, Lima 12, Peru. Telephone: 51 1 437 1077. Fax: 51 1 437 8289. E-mail: mmaisone@cepis.ops-oms.org

The authors thank F. Bove for his insightful comments during the conduct of this project.

Received 10 October 2000; accepted 10 April 2001.