Impact of Environmental Noise Pollution on Adverse Childbirth Outcomes in Chile: A Risk Analysis

The global decline in birth rate, combined with increasing environmental noise, presents a significant public health challenge. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified environmental noise as a risk factor for both maternal and neonatal health. In Chile, this trend mirrors global patterns, with rising levels of acoustic pollution and declining birth rates.

To analyze the impact of environmental noise on low birth weight and prematurity in Chile during the period of 2018-2020.

An ecological study was conducted analyzing secondary data on gestational health and environmental noise from the Metropolitan region, Valparaíso, and Biobío in Chile. The birth rate, prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) and prematurity (PTL), and levels of daytime and nighttime environmental noise were quantitatively described. The attributable population risk was estimated using previously adjusted relative risks.

The birth rate in Chile was 10.94 during the study period. An estimated 19,817 cases attributable to low birth weight and 3,055 premature births related to exposure to environmental noise during 2018-2020 were estimated.

In Chile, daytime and nighttime environmental noise from vehicular traffic exceeded the dB levels established by the WHO international guidelines. This exposure represented a risk factor for the occurrence of low-birth-weight births, a condition that, along with the decrease in birth rate, poses an alarming public health problem, considering that low birth weight is one of the main causes of infant mortality in children under five years old worldwide.