title: Does maternal exposure to benzene and PM10 during pregnancy increase the risk of congenital anomalies? A population-based case-control study.
abstract: A few studies have suggested an association between maternal exposure to ambient air pollution from vehicular traffic and risk of congenital anomalies in the offspring, but epidemiologic evidence is neither strong nor entirely consistent. In a population-based case-control study in a Northern Italy community encompassing 228 cases of birth defects and 228 referent newborns, we investigated if maternal exposure to PM10 and benzene from vehicular traffic during early pregnancy, as estimated through a dispersion model, was associated with excess teratogenic risk. In conditional logistic regression analysis, and with adjustment for the other pollutant, we found that higher exposure to PM10 but not benzene was associated with increased risk of birth defects overall. Anomaly categories showing the strongest dose-response relation with PM10 exposure were musculoskeletal and chromosomal abnormalities but not cardiovascular defects, with Down syndrome being among the specific abnormalities showing the strongest association, though risk estimates particularly for the less frequent defects were statistically very unstable. Further adjustment in the regression model for potential confounders did not considerably alter the results. All the associations were stronger for average levels of PM10 than for their maximal level. Findings of this study give some support for an excess teratogenic risk following maternal exposure during pregnancy to PM10, but not benzene. Such association appears to be limited to some birth defect categories.
authors.affiliation: CREAGEN, Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Campus San Lazzaro, Padiglione De Sanctis, Via Giovanni Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy. Electronic address: marco.vinceti@unimore.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinceti
authors.affiliation: CREAGEN, Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Campus San Lazzaro, Padiglione De Sanctis, Via Giovanni Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Malagoli
authors.affiliation: CREAGEN, Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Campus San Lazzaro, Padiglione De Sanctis, Via Giovanni Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malavolti
authors.affiliation: TerrAria s.r.l., Via Melchiorre Gioia 132, 20125 Milano Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherubini
authors.affiliation: TerrAria s.r.l., Via Melchiorre Gioia 132, 20125 Milano Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maffeis
authors.affiliation: Local Health Unit of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodolfi
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Julia E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Heck
authors.affiliation: IMER Registry, Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Corso Giovecca 203, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Astolfi
authors.affiliation: IMER Registry, Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Corso Giovecca 203, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calzolari
authors.affiliation: Local Health Unit of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nicolini
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis*; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001554:Benzene
keywords: Air pollution; Benzene; Birth defects; Case–control study; Epidemiology; PM(10)