One of the largest prospective epidemiological studies in its field has just been published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, according to which the researchers conclude that "exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of lower fetal growth".
Dr. Marie Pedersen, lead author of the 'Ambient air pollution and low birthweight: a European cohort study (ESCAPE)', is a researcher at the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) in Barcelona. He states that according to his findings, a significant proportion of cases of low birth weight could be avoided in Europe if urban air pollution is reduced. The researchers estimate that, for every 5 microgram per cubic meter (5μg / m³) increase in exposure to fine particles during pregnancy, the risk of low birth weight increases by 18%. This is a usual increase in these particles found in, for example, vehicle emissions and industrial air pollutants. Importantly, this increased risk persists at levels below the existing air quality limit EU annual of 25μg / m³.
Using data from the European Cohort Study for the effects of air pollution (ESCAPE), the researchers combined data from 14 cohort studies in 12 European countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, England, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Greece and Spain), in which more than 74,000 women who had their babies participated between February 1994 and June 2011.
In particular, 2,623 mothers-children from Sabadell (Barcelona), Asturias, Guipúzcoa, Valencia and Granada participated in Spain, participating in the INMA-Children and Environment project, whose director is Dr. Jordi Sunyer, co-director of CREAL, CERCA center ( Research Centers of Catalonia).
The average levels of exposure of these fine particles that are discussed (PM2, 5) during pregnancy in the population studied varied from less than 10μg / m³ to almost 30μg / m³. Dr. Manolis Kogevinas, co-director of CREAL, adds that “if PM2.5 levels were reduced to 10μg / m³ (the WHO reference value as an annual average of air quality), 22% of cases of low birth weight could be prevented of deliveries over 37 weeks. ”
The wide exposure of pregnant women around the world to urban air pollution in concentrations similar or even higher than those evaluated in our study offers a clear message to policy makers to improve the air quality we all share
The study is very conclusive: all air pollutants, which are basically fine particles, increase the risk of low weight and reduction of the average circumference of babies' heads. To reach this data, other factors such as maternal smoking, age, weight and education have been previously isolated.
Not forgetting that the low levels of air pollution during pregnancy, are also related to respiratory problems in childhood, and other diseases that may be suffered throughout life.
