Associations Between Gestational Residential Radon Exposure and Term Low Birthweight in Connecticut, USA

Studies suggest biologic mechanisms for gestational exposure to radiation and impaired fetal development. We explored associations between gestational radon exposure and term low birthweight, for which evidence is limited.

We examined data for 68,159 singleton full-term births in Connecticut, United States, 2016-2018. Using a radon spatiotemporal model, we estimated ZIP code-level basement and ground-level exposures during pregnancy and trimesters for each participant's address at birth or delivery. We used logistic regression models, including confounders, to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for term low birth weight in four exposure quartiles (Q1-Q4) with the lowest exposure group (Q1) as the reference.

Exposure levels to basement radon throughout pregnancy (0.27-3.02 pCi/L) were below the guideline level set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (4 pCi/L). The ORs for term low birth weight in the second-highest (Q3; 1.01-1.33 pCi/L) exposure group compared with the reference (<0.79 pCi/L) group for basement radon during the first trimester was 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02, 1.45). The OR in the highest (Q4; 1.34-4.43 pCi/L) quartile group compared with the reference group during the first trimester was 1.26 (95% CI = 1.05, 1.50). Risks from basement radon were higher for participants with lower income, lower maternal education levels, or living in urban regions.

This study found increased term low birth weight risks for increases in basement radon. Results have implications for infants' health for exposure to radon at levels below the current national guideline for indoor radon concentrations and building remediations.