Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Birth Outcomes
Author Information
Author(s): Michael Brauer, Cornel Lencar, Lillian Tamburic, Mieke Koehoorn, Paul Demers, Catherine Karr
Primary Institution: The University of British Columbia
Hypothesis
Does air pollution exposure adversely affect pregnancy outcomes such as small for gestational age (SGA) birth weight, low full-term birth weight (LBW), and preterm birth?
Conclusion
Traffic-related air pollution is associated with increased risks of small for gestational age and low birth weight in a population-based cohort.
Supporting Evidence
- Residence within 50 m of highways was associated with a 26% increase in SGA.
- An 11% increase in LBW was observed for those living close to highways.
- Exposure to air pollutants except ozone was linked to SGA.
- Associations were consistent across different exposure estimation methods.
Takeaway
Living close to busy roads can make babies smaller and lighter when they are born.
Methodology
The study used linked administrative data to analyze 70,249 singleton births and estimated air pollution exposure using various models.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of exposure due to residential mobility and reliance on neighborhood-level socioeconomic data.
Limitations
The study relied on administrative data, which may not capture all relevant individual-level factors, and exposure was based only on residential address.
Participant Demographics
The cohort included 51.4% male births, with a mean maternal age of 31.1 years and 7.4% reporting maternal smoking during pregnancy.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 1.07–1.49 for SGA; 95% CI, 1.01–1.23 for LBW
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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