Human Reproduction, Vol. 18, No. 3, 638-643,
March 2003
© 2003 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Exposure to air pollution during different gestational phases contributes to risks of low birth weight
1 Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, Ewha Womans University, 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 3 Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, Inha University and 4 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Institute of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Korea
5 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 911–1, Mok-6-Dong, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul, Korea (158–710). e-mail: eunheeha{at}ewha.ac.kr
BACKGROUND: Although there have been growing concerns about the adverse effects of air pollution on birth outcomes, little is known about which specific exposure times of specific pollutants contribute to low birth weight (LBW). METHODS: We evaluated the relationships between LBW and air pollution exposure levels in Seoul, Korea. Using the air pollution data, we estimated the exposure during each trimester and also during each month of pregnancy on the basis of the gestational age and birth date of each newborn. Generalized additive logistic regression analyses were conducted considering infant sex, birth order, maternal age, parental education level, time trend, and gestational age. RESULTS: The monthly analyses suggested that the risks for LBW tended to increase with carbon monoxide (CO) exposure between months 2–5 of pregnancy, with exposure to particles <10 µm (PM10) in months 2 and 4, and for sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure between months 3–5. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that exposure to CO, PM10, SO2 and NO2 during early to mid pregnancy contribute to risks for LBW.
Key words: air pollution/carbon monoxide/low birth weight/PM10/nitrogen dioxide/sulphur dioxide
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. M. Veras, N. R. Damaceno-Rodrigues, E. G. Caldini, A. A.C. M. Ribeiro, T. M. Mayhew, P. H.N. Saldiva, and M. Dolhnikoff Particulate Urban Air Pollution Affects the Functional Morphology of Mouse Placenta Biol Reprod, September 1, 2008; 79(3): 578 - 584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. F. Rogers and A. L. Dunlop Air Pollution and Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Target Population? Pediatrics, July 1, 2006; 118(1): 156 - 164. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C M Villanueva, G Durand, M-B Coutte, C Chevrier, and S Cordier Atrazine in municipal drinking water and risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, and small-for-gestational-age status Occup. Environ. Med., June 1, 2005; 62(6): 400 - 405. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|