Maternal exposure to ambient PM2.5 and term low birthweight in the State of Georgia.

Abstract

A growing body of evidence suggests that ambient air pollution could be associated with low birthweight (LBW). In this study, we examined pregnancy exposure to ambient PM2.5 and the risk of LBW in the State of Georgia. The study population consisted of 48,172 full-term live births between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2004 in nine counties of Georgia, which was obtained from the national natality dataset. County-level air quality index data obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was used to estimate exposure to ambient levels of PM2.5. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that infants with maternal exposure to PM2.5 falling within 75 to < 95th percentiles were at increased risk of LBW (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.79), after adjusting for potential confounders. This study provided more evidence on the role of PM2.5 in LBW. Reducing exposure for pregnant women would be necessary to improve the health of infants.