Exposure Links to Life-Long Chronic Disease
Low birth weight either full-term or premature is associated with infant death, neurological damage, and adult-onset chronic disease.
Exposure to PM2.5 is strongly associated with preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) births, even at levels significantly below the minimum recommended by the European Union.
In 2007, the Institute of Medicine reported that the annual cost associated with premature and preterm/SGA birth in the U.S. was $26.2 billion: $16.9 billion in neonatal medical care, $1.9 billion in labor/delivery costs, $611 million for early intervention services, $1.1 billion for special education services, and $5.7 billion in lost productivity.
Studies in Eastern Europe, Brazil, and Korea have found associations between NOx exposure early in pregnancy and increased risk for preterm birth. A large study of a homogeneous Lithuanian population reported a 25% increased risk for preterm birth per 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 concentrations during the first trimester of gestation. No consistent association between NOx and prematurity was demonstrated in data from ~100,000 births in Southern California. However, the same study observed a 20% increase in preterm birth per 50-μg increase in ambient PM10 levels averaged over 6 weeks before birth and a 16% increase when averaging over the first month of pregnancy.
Low birth weight is the leading cause of infant mortality in U.S. & Europe
(Globally, premature birth is the third most common cause of infant death.) Low birth weight infants are at higher risk of developing many complications: respiratory distress, sleep apnea, heart problems, jaundice, anemia, chronic lung disorders, and infections.
Neuro-Developmental Disorders
Low birth weight has been associated with hyperactivity disorders, developmental issues, and cognitive deficits. They are more likely to repeat a grade in school 34% less likely to graduate from high school at an appropriate age. These children have a tougher time at every age.
Read more about neurological threats of diesel emissions→
Adult-Onset Chronic Diseases
A child with low birth weight, whether full-term or premature, is at increased long-term risk for multiple adult-onset chronic diseases. (Potential consequences of each in parentheses.)
* Diabetes (kidney disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease)
* Ischemic heart disease (stroke, heart attack, sudden death)
* Heart failure (pulmonary edema, cardiomyopathy, sudden death)
* Cerebrovascular disease (stroke, dementia)
* Thrombosis (stroke, pulmonary embolism)
* Hypertension (stroke, kidney disease)
* Cardiac arrhythmias (stroke, heart attack, sudden death).
Evidence for Link with PM and NOx
Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and ground level ozone (O3 are strongly associated with premature birth and low birth weight at term. One Canadian study measured a 30% rise in low-weight births that tracked air levels of O3.
Even exposures below the minimum recommended by the European Union have documented links to low birth weight and premature birth. Lowering the minimum air level of PM2.5 from the current 25 μg/m3 to 10 μg/m3μm would reduce the number of premature births in Europe by an estimated 20%. According to the March of Dimes , the total annual cost attributable to consequences of low birth weight has been estimated to be €219.09 billion, including €157.39 billion in direct medical costs and €62 billion in reduced productivity.
Studies in Eastern Europe, Brazil, and Korea have found associations between NOx exposure early in pregnancy and increased risk for preterm birth. A large study of a homogeneous Lithuanian population reported a 25% increased risk for preterm birth per 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 concentrations during the first trimester of gestation. No consistent association between NOx and prematurity was demonstrated in data from ~100,000 births in Southern California. However, the same study observed a 20% increase in preterm birth per 50-μg increase in ambient PM10 levels averaged over 6 weeks before birth and a 16% increase when averaging over the first month of pregnancy.