Air pollution is linked to the increase in the number of neonatal unit admissions in the neonate

Washington: Infants born to women exposed to high levels of air pollution in the week before delivery are more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit for newborns ( NICU), suggest recent findings.

Depending on the type of pollution, the chances of admission to the NICU increase from 4% to 147%, compared to infants whose mothers have not been exposed to high levels of air pollution in the week before delivery. .

"Short-term exposure to most types of air pollutants can increase the risk of admission to NICU. If our results are confirmed, they suggest that pregnant women might consider limiting their time outdoors when air quality advisories report unhealthy conditions, "said Pauline Mendola, lead author of the report. study published in the Journal of Annals of Epidemiology.

Previous studies have badociated elevated levels of certain types of air pollutants with higher risks of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder badociated with pregnancy.

Previous research has also shown that infants born to women exposed to high levels of air pollutants are at high risk of premature birth, small for gestational age at birth, and slower than normal growth in pregnancy. ;uterus.

Given these badociations, the authors of the study sought to determine whether prenatal exposure to air pollution could increase the chances of admission to NICU.

As part of this study, researchers badyzed data from the Consortium on Safe Labor, which compiled information on more than 223,000 births at 12 clinical sites in the United States from 2002 to 2008.

The researchers linked records of more than 27,000 INNU admissions to modified data from the multi-scale air quality modeling system, which estimates environmental pollution concentrations in the United States. The researchers compared the air quality data in the area where each birth occurred in the week before delivery, the day before delivery and the day of delivery. delivery.

They then compared these time intervals with air quality data two weeks before delivery and two weeks postpartum to determine the risk of NICU admission badociated with the levels. of pollution.

The researchers also examined the probabilities of NICU admission badociated with high concentrations of particles – pollution particles – less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5). These types of particulates come from a variety of sources, including diesel and gasoline engines, power plants, landfills, sewage systems and industrial processes.

Exposure to high concentrations of organic compounds in the air was badociated with a 147% increase in NICU admission risk. Elemental carbon and ammonium ions exhibited similar risk increases (38% and 39%, respectively), while exposure to nitrate compounds was badociated with a higher risk of admission to life. NICU of 16%.

The chances of admission to the NICUs increased significantly with traffic-related pollutant exposures the day before and the day of delivery, compared to the week before delivery: 4% and 3%, respectively, for an increase. about 300 parts per million (ppm) to carbon monoxide; 13% and 9% for an increase of approximately 26 ppm of nitrogen dioxide; and 6 and 3% increase of about 3 ppm of sulfur dioxide.

Researchers do not know why exposure to air pollution could increase the chances of admission to the NICU. They theorize however that pollutants increase inflammation, which slows down the growth of blood vessels, particularly in the placenta, which provides oxygen and nutrients to the developing fetus.

(Stay up to date on all the latest health news with the daily Siasat app. Download now for iOS and Android)