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Air Pollution Impact on Pregnancy Outcomes in Como, Italy
Matteo Capobussi1, Roberto Tettamanti, Luca Marcolin
1Postgraduate Medical School in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Milan (Drs Capobussi, Bronzin, Gattoni, Polloni); Dipartimento PAC/S (Drs Tettamanti, Marcolin, Piovesan, Sabatino); Direzione Sanitaria, Local Health Authority, Como (Dr Tersalvi); Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan (Drs Auxilia, Castaldi); and Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy (Drs Auxilia, Castaldi).
Objective:
This retrospective observational study investigates the association between maternal exposure to air pollutants and pregnancy adverse outcomes in low urbanization areas.
Methods:
We used multivariate regression analysis to estimate, in the Como province (2005-2012), the effects of NO(x), NO2, SO2, O3, CO, and PM10 on low birth weight (LBW), babies small for gestational age (SGA), and preterm birth (PTB).
Results:
PTB was inversely associated with high (5.5 μg/m³) exposure to SO2 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.74, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.58-0.95) and to CO (1.8 mg/m³, aOR = 0.84, CI = 0.72-0.99). PTB risk increased with second trimester exposure to NO(x) (118.3 μg/m³, aOR = 1.53, CI = 1.25-1.87), while LBW risk increased with third trimester PM10 (56.1 μg/m³, aOR = 1.44, CI = 1.03-2.02). SGA was inversely associated with third trimester NO(x) (115.8 μg/m³, aOR = 0.89, CI = 0.79-0.99).
Conclusions:
Exposure to SO2 and CO seems to postpone delivery: a longer gestation could compensate for maternal hypoxemic-hypoxic damage.
