Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and health risks for mother and child
Author
Summary, in English
We had in the present thesis the unique possibility to use, in a socio-economically relatively homogenous population, high quality registry information on a population-based birth cohort (84 039 births during the period 1999-2005) in Scania (Skåne), the most Southern county of Sweden. The aim of the thesis was to investigate whether exposure to air pollution, in an area of low-levels exposures, during different periods of the pregnancy was associated with birth outcomes, pregnancy complications and risk of the child to develop type I diabetes (T1D). For all outcomes air pollution was assessed as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and traffic exposure. For T1D we also assessed the association with exposures to ozone.
We did not find any consistent associations between air pollution and birth outcomes, whereas an increased prevalence of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia with increasing NOx exposure was observed. We did also find that the risk of developing T1D increased if the mother had lived in areas of elevated levels of NOx during third trimester or ozone during second trimester. Our studies suggest that air pollution during pregnancy might be a health risk for mother and child, even at levels below current air quality guidelines.
We did not find any consistent associations between air pollution and birth outcomes, whereas an increased prevalence of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia with increasing NOx exposure was observed. We did also find that the risk of developing T1D increased if the mother had lived in areas of elevated levels of NOx during third trimester or ozone during second trimester. Our studies suggest that air pollution during pregnancy might be a health risk for mother and child, even at levels below current air quality guidelines.
Department/s
Publishing year
2014
Language
English
Publication/Series
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
Volume
2014:19
Full text
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Document type
Dissertation
Publisher
Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Topic
- Environmental Health and Occupational Health
Keywords
- air pollution
- pregnancy
- birth outcomes
- ozone modeeling
- preeclampsia
- Type1 Diabetes
Status
Published
Supervisor
- Lars Rylander
- Anna Rignell-Hydbom
- Håkan Tinnerberg
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1652-8220
- ISBN: 978-91-87651-43-4
Defence date
28 February 2014
Defence time
09:15
Defence place
Pufendorf Institute, Sölvegatan 2, Lund
Opponent
- Ole Raaschou-Nielsen