title: Linking air pollution data and adverse birth outcomes: environmental public health tracking in New York State.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies investigating associations between ambient air pollution and fetal growth and gestational duration have reported inconclusive findings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study goal was to use the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to describe the association between exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone and term low birth weight (TLBW) in New York State.
  
  
  METHODS
  Birth data for the years 2001-2006 were linked to Census data and hierarchical Bayesian modeled air pollution data. Daily 8-hour maximums for ozone and daily average PM2.5 estimates were averaged by trimester and exposure quartiles. The Environmental Public Health Tracking Academic Center for Excellence at Rutgers University partnered with New York and several other states to create a statistical program that uses logistic regression to determine the association between air pollution exposure and TLBW.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no consistent dose-response relationships between the pollutants and TLBW. Ozone exposure was associated with a higher risk of TLBW only in the first trimester, but these results were not statistically significant. Exposure to the third quartile of ozone for the full gestational period had negative associations with TLBW (odds ratio = 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.92).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Collaboration within the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to share methods and data for research proved feasible and efficient in assessing the relationship of air pollutants to adverse birth outcomes. This study finds little evidence to support positive associations between exposure to ozone or PM2.5 and TLBW in New York State.
authors.affiliation: Bureau of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York (Mss Brown and Mr Pantea, Dr Hwang, and Mr Talbot); and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway (Dr Harris).
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pantea
authors.forename: Syni-An
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Thomas O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Talbot
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D062305:Geographic Mapping; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011634:Public Health / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter