Does air travel affect pregnancy outcome?

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Air travel during pregnancy is common, raising concerns about potential risks to maternal and fetal health.
• Existing data on the safety of air travel in pregnancy is limited, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between air travel during pregnancy and adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.
• To determine if air travel poses a significant risk to pregnancies beyond 20 weeks' gestation.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 222 women delivering after 20 weeks' gestation over a 6-month period.
• Data collection included air travel history (frequency, duration, destination) and pregnancy outcomes via chart review.
• Statistical analyses utilized t-tests, Mann-Whitney U, chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and regression models (p<0.05 significance).

Main Results:

• 53% of women reported air travel during pregnancy (median 2 flights, average 4-hour duration).
• No statistically significant differences were observed in gestational age at delivery, birthweight, rates of vaginal bleeding, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, or NICU admission between travelers and non-travelers.
• No thromboembolic events were reported in any participants.

Conclusions:

• Air travel in pregnancies beyond 20 weeks' gestation is not associated with an increased risk of adverse obstetric or neonatal complications.
• The findings support the safety of air travel for this population, though larger studies would be needed to detect subtle effects.