Pregnant women take note: U.S. research indicates poor air quality increases the risk of premature birth.
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center analyzed Ohio birth records from 2007 to 2010. During this period, 225,000 babies were born locally, with 19,000 classified as premature.Medically, delivery before 37 weeks of gestation is classified as preterm.
Researchers linked preterm birth rates to PM2.5 levels measured by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's air quality monitoring network. They found that 91% of preterm births occurred in areas "very close to city centers," where fine particulate matter levels were higher. Calculations showed women living in areas with high fine particulate matter levels had nearly a 20% higher risk of preterm birth.Exposure to high concentrations of fine particulate matter during the late stages of pregnancy is particularly likely to lead to preterm birth. Beyond air quality factors, women over 40, those who skip prenatal checkups, and those with lower levels of education also face higher risks of preterm birth. The related research was published in the Journal of Environmental Health.