Abstract
Purpose
Pregnant women and fetuses are sensitive to air pollution due to physiological changes in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between exposure to air pollution, low birth weight and preterm labor in Ahvaz.
Methods
This research was a time-series study. The research sample consisted of all data about low birth weight and preterm labor pregnant women from Imam Khomeini Hospital and Razi Hospital in Ahvaz city. Air pollutant data including O3, NO, NO2, SO2, CO, PM10 and PM2.5 and climate data were collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Khuzestan Province during a 10-year period from 2008 to 2018. The generalized additive models (GAMs) with different air pollutant lags up to 6 days were used.
Results
The results of multiple GAM model have shown that there is a direct and significant relationship between exposure to PM10 at 0–6-day lag, SO2 at 2- and 3-day lag and low birth weight. In addition, there was a direct and significant correlation between exposure to NO2, NO, CO and PM2.5 at 0–6-day lag and preterm labor.
Conclusion
The results indicate the effect of air pollutants on low birth weight and preterm labor. Therefore, pregnant women should be informed about the negative consequences of air pollution and avoid exposure to polluted air during pregnancy.
Acknowledgments
This article was part of the thesis by the Research Council of Shahid Beheshti University. Hereby the collaborations of officials and staff of the hospitals in performing sampling and cooperation of the air quality control company and the Ahvaz Environmental Protection Agency are appreciated.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.