title: Prenatal air pollution exposure and newborn blood pressure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Air pollution exposure has been associated with increased blood pressure in adults.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined associations of antenatal exposure to ambient air pollution with newborn systolic blood pressure (SBP).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 1,131 mother-infant pairs in a Boston, Massachusetts, area pre-birth cohort. We calculated average exposures by trimester and during the 2 to 90 days before birth for temporally resolved fine particulate matter (≤ 2.5 μm; PM2.5), black carbon (BC), nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide, ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide measured at stationary monitoring sites, and for spatiotemporally resolved estimates of PM2.5 and BC at the residence level. We measured SBP at a mean age of 30 ± 18 hr with an automated device. We used mixed-effects models to examine associations between air pollutant exposures and SBP, taking into account measurement circumstances; child's birth weight; mother's age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and third-trimester BP; and time trend. Estimates represent differences in SBP associated with an interquartile range (IQR) increase in each pollutant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher mean PM2.5 and BC exposures during the third trimester were associated with higher SBP (e.g., 1.0 mmHg; 95% CI: 0.1, 1.8 for a 0.32-μg/m3 increase in mean 90-day residential BC). In contrast, O3 was negatively associated with SBP (e.g., -2.3 mmHg; 95% CI: -4.4, -0.2 for a 13.5-ppb increase during the 90 days before birth).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposures to PM2.5 and BC in late pregnancy were positively associated with newborn SBP, whereas O3 was negatively associated with SBP. Longitudinal follow-up will enable us to assess the implications of these findings for health during later childhood and adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Lenie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Rossem
authors.forename: Sheryl L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rifas-Shiman
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Melly
authors.forename: Itai
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kloog
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luttmann-Gibson
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanobetti
authors.forename: Brent A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Coull
authors.forename: Joel D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Murray A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mittleman
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oken
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Gillman
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koutrakis
authors.forename: Diane R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Gold
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001900:Boston; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053260:Soot / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D052638:Particulate Matter; D053260:Soot; D010126:Ozone; D002248:Carbon Monoxide