Effects of ambient air pollution on the risk of small- and large-for-gestational-age births: an analysis using national birth data in Japan

Objectives

Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births are major adverse birth outcomes related to newborn health. In contrast, the association between ambient air pollution levels and SGA or LGA births has not been investigated in Japan; hence, the purpose of our study is to investigate this association.

Methods

We used birth data from Vital Statistics in Japan from 2017 to 2021 and municipality-level data on air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), photochemical oxidants, and particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5). Ambient air pollution levels throughout the first, second, and third trimesters, as well as the whole pregnancy, were calculated for each birth. The association between SGA/LGA and ambient levels of the air pollutants was investigated using crude and adjusted log-binomial regression models. In addition, a regression model with spline functions was also used to detect the non-linear association.

Results

We analyzed data from 2,434,217 births. Adjusted regression analyses revealed statistically significant and positive associations between SGA birth and SO₂ level, regardless of the exposure period. Specifically, the risk ratio for average SO₂ values throughout the whole pregnancy was 1.014 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.009, 1.019) per 1 ppb increase. In addition, regression analysis with spline functions indicated that an increase in risk ratio for SGA birth depending on SO₂ level was linear. Furthermore, statistically significant and negative associations were observed between LGA birth and SO₂ except for the third trimester.

Conclusions

It was suggested that ambient level of SO₂ during the pregnancy term is a risk factor for SGA birth in Japan.