Volume 111, Issue 2, Pages 341–347

Authors:

Claire L. Leiser, M.S.P.H., Heidi A. Hanson, Ph.D., M.S., Kara Sawyer, M.D., Jacob Steenblik, M.P.H., M.H.A., Ragheed Al-Dulaimi, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., Troy Madsen, M.D., Karen Gibbins, M.D., James M. Hotaling, M.D., Yetunde Oluseye Ibrahim, M.D., James A. VanDerslice, Ph.D., Matthew Fuller, M.D.

Abstract:

Objective

To investigate the relationship between acute exposure to air pollutants and spontaneous pregnancy loss.

Design

Case-crossover study from 2007 to 2015.

Setting

An academic emergency department in the Wasatch Front area of Utah.

Patient(s)

A total of 1,398 women who experienced spontaneous pregnancy loss events.

Intervention(s)

None.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Odds of spontaneous pregnancy loss.

Result(s)

We found that a 10-ppb increase in 7-day average levels of nitrogen dioxide was associated with a 16% increase in the odds of spontaneous pregnancy loss (odds ratio [OR] = 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.33; P=.04). A 10-μg/m3 increase in 3-day and 7-day averages of fine particulate matter were associated with increased risk of spontaneous pregnancy loss, but the associations did not reach statistical significance (OR3-day average = 1.09; 95% CI 0.99–1.20; P=.05) (OR7-day average = 1.11; 95% CI 0.99–1.24; P=.06). We found no evidence of increased risk for any other metrics of nitrogen dioxide or fine particulate matter or any metric for ozone.

Conclusions

We found that short-term exposure to elevated levels of air pollutants was associated with higher risk for spontaneous pregnancy loss.

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