Common Air Pollution May Increase the Risk of Preterm Birth

An analysis of 225,000 births reveals that exposure to high levels of small particle air pollution from car exhaust, burning wood, coal, and other fossil fuels during pregnancy can increase the risk of early birth by up to 19%. Study author Dr. Emily DeFranco explains, “Although the risk increase is modest, the potential impact is robust, as all pregnant women are potentially at risk… We estimate that decreasing the amount of particulate matter in the air below the [Environmental Protection Agency’s] standard threshold could decrease preterm birth in women exposed to high levels of small particulates by about 17 percent, which corresponds to a 2.22 percent decrease in the preterm birth rate in the population as a whole.”
Environmental Health, January 2016