Air Pollution Increases Risk of Preterm Births
Researchers at the University of North Carolina have reported an increased risk of preterm delivery associated with exposure to PM10 and sulfur dioxide during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy.
The study population consisted of single infants born to mothers from 1997 to 2001 in four Pennsylvania counties: Allegheny, Beaver, Lackawanna, and Philadelphia.
The researchers used a time-series analysis, a study design which eliminates potential confounding by individual risk factors that do not change over short periods of time. The increased risk of preterm birth was small, but researchers note that if the effects are causal, the public health impact could be significant because of the large populations chronically exposed to high concentrations of air pollution.
Sagiv SK, Mendola P, Loomis D, Herring AH, Neas LM, Savitz DA, Poole C. A Time Series Analysis of Air Pollution and Preterm Birth in Pennsylvania, 1997-2001. Environ Health Perspec 2005; 113:602-606.
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