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Air pollution and stillbirth: a population-based case-control study in Taiwan
Bing-Fang Hwang1, Yungling Leo Lee, Jouni J K Jaakkola
1Department of Occupational Safety and Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. bfhwang@mail.cmu.edu.tw
Environmental Health Perspectives
|March 31, 2011
Summary
Prenatal exposure to outdoor air sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM10) increases stillbirth risk, particularly in the first trimester and for preterm births.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Reproductive Health
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Limited evidence links prenatal air pollutant exposure to stillbirth risk.
- Previous studies have not identified the most vulnerable gestational periods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between ambient air pollutants and stillbirth.
- To identify susceptible gestational periods for stillbirth risk related to air pollution.
Main Methods:
- Population-based case-control study in Taiwan (2001-2007).
- Included 9,325 stillbirths and 93,250 controls.
- Used logistic regression to assess pollutant exposure (SO2, PM10) during specific gestational periods.
Main Results:
- Increased stillbirth risk associated with first-trimester sulfur dioxide (SO2) exposure, especially for preterm births.
- Particulate matter (PM10) exposure in the first and second months of gestation linked to higher stillbirth risk, primarily in preterm births.
Conclusions:
- Exposure to outdoor SO2 and PM10 during early pregnancy increases stillbirth risk.
- Preterm births are particularly vulnerable to air pollution-induced stillbirth.
- The first trimester is identified as a critical window for these risks.
