Meeting report: atmospheric pollution and human reproduction.
BACKGROUND
There is a growing body of epidemiologic literature reporting associations between atmospheric pollutants and reproductive outcomes, particularly birth weight and gestational duration.


OBJECTIVE
The objectives of our international workshop were to discuss the current evidence, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of published epidemiologic studies, and to suggest future directions for research.


CONCLUSIONS
Participants identified promising exposure assessment tools, including exposure models with fine spatial and temporal resolution that take into account time-activity patterns. More knowledge on factors correlated with exposure to air pollution, such as other environmental pollutants with similar temporal variations, and assessment of nutritional factors possibly influencing birth outcomes would help evaluate importance of residual confounding. Participants proposed a list of points to report in future publications on this topic to facilitate research syntheses. Nested case-control studies analyzed using two-phase statistical techniques and development of cohorts with extensive information on pregnancy behaviors and biological samples are promising study designs. Issues related to the identification of critical exposure windows and potential biological mechanisms through which air pollutants may lead to intrauterine growth restriction and premature birth were reviewed.


CONCLUSIONS
To make progress, this research field needs input from toxicology, exposure assessment, and clinical research, especially to aid in the identification and exposure assessment of feto-toxic agents in ambient air, in the development of early markers of adverse reproductive outcomes, and of relevant biological pathways. In particular, additional research using animal models would help better delineate the biological mechanisms underpinning the associations reported in human studies.
Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany. remy.slama@ujf-grenoble.fr
Rémy
R
Slama
Lyndsey
L
Darrow
Jennifer
J
Parker
Tracey J
TJ
Woodruff
Matthew
M
Strickland
Mark
M
Nieuwenhuijsen
Svetlana
S
Glinianaia
Katherine J
KJ
Hoggatt
Srimathi
S
Kannan
Fintan
F
Hurley
Jaroslaw
J
Kalinka
Radim
R
Srám
Michael
M
Brauer
Michelle
M
Wilhelm
Joachim
J
Heinrich
Beate
B
Ritz
D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*