Green spaces and adverse pregnancy outcomes

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Growing evidence suggests environmental factors influence pregnancy outcomes.
• Green spaces are increasingly recognized for their potential health benefits.
• Understanding the impact of green space exposure on maternal and infant health is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between proximity and surrounding greenness and various adverse pregnancy outcomes.
• To analyze effects on birth weight, low birth weight (LBW), very low birth weight (VLBW), gestational age, preterm delivery (PTD), and very preterm delivery (VPTD).

Main Methods:

• Utilized a registry birth cohort of 39,132 singleton live births in Tel Aviv (2000-2006).
• Quantified surrounding greenness using satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in 250m buffers.
• Assessed proximity to major green spaces (≥5000 m²) using 300m buffers and OpenStreetMap data.

Main Results:

• Increased greenness was associated with significantly higher birth weight (+19.2g) and decreased risk of LBW (OR 0.84).
• No statistically significant associations were found for gestational age, PTD, or VPTD.
• Stronger positive effects on birth weight were observed in populations of lower socioeconomic status.

Conclusions:

• Confirms previous findings on the positive association between maternal green space proximity and birth weight.
• Suggests a need for further research into the understudied associations with VLBW and VPTD.