Greater air pollution and heat tied to adverse pregnancy outcomes

More and more of us–especially in urban areas–are exposed to greater air pollution and higher temperatures (factors of a changing climate). Based on a review of studies conducted between 2007 and 2019, one impact of this across the United States is a significant association with adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially impacting women with related health conditions and/or who are more likely to reside in these areas.

Featured article:

Bekkar B, Pacheco S, Basu R, DeNicola N. (2020). Association of Air Pollution and Heat Exposure With Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight, and Stillbirth in the US: A Systematic Review. JAMA Network Open, 3(6), e208243. [PDF] [Cited by]

“Importance — knowledge of whether serious adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with increasingly widespread effects of climate change in the US would be crucial for the obstetrical medical community and for women and families across the country.

Objective — to investigate prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), ozone, and heat, and the association of these factors with preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth.

Evidence — this systematic review involved a comprehensive search for primary literature in Cochrane Library, Cochrane Collaboration Registry of Controlled Trials, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov website, and MEDLINE. Qualifying primary research studies included human participants in US populations that were published in English between January 1, 2007, and April 30, 2019. Included articles analyzed the associations between air pollutants or heat and obstetrical outcomes. Comparative observational cohort studies and cross-sectional studies with comparators were included, without minimum sample size. Additional articles found through reference review were also considered. Articles analyzing other obstetrical outcomes, non-US populations, and reviews were excluded. Two reviewers independently determined study eligibility. The Arskey and O’Malley scoping review framework was used. Data extraction was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline.

Findings — of the 1851 articles identified, 68 met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 32,798,152 births were analyzed. A total of 57 studies (48 of 58 [84%] on air pollutants; 9 of 10 [90%] on heat) showed a significant association of air pollutant and heat exposure with birth outcomes. Positive associations were found across all US geographic regions. Exposure to PM_2.5 or ozone was associated with increased risk of preterm birth in 19 of 24 studies (79%) and low birth weight in 25 of 29 studies (86%). The subpopulations at highest risk were persons with asthma and minority groups, especially black mothers.

This review suggests that increasingly common environmental exposures exacerbated by climate change are significantly associated with serious adverse pregnancy outcomes across the US.”

Secondary:

Climate Change Tied to Pregnancy Risks, Affecting Black Mothers Most: Women exposed to high temperatures or air pollution are more likely to have premature, underweight or stillborn babies, a look at 32 million U.S. births found. (New York Times)

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