Neonatal blood pressure in association with prenatal air pollution exposure, traffic, and land use indicators: An ENVIRONAGE birth cohort study

• Published in: Environment international 2019-09, Vol.130, p.104853, Article 104853
• Main Authors: Madhloum, Narjes, Nawrot, Tim S., Gyselaers, Wilfried, Roels, Harry A., Bijnens, Esmée, Vanpoucke, Charlotte, Lefebvre, Wouter, Janssen, Bram G., Cox, Bianca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - toxicity; Air pollution; Air Pollution - analysis; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Cohort Studies; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Land use; Male; Newborn; Nitrogen Dioxide - toxicity; Particulate Matter - toxicity; Pregnancy; Prenatal; Soot - toxicity; Traffic
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.047

Elevated blood pressure (BP) in early life may lead to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in later life. Air pollution exposure has been associated with increased BP in adults and children, but the contribution of prenatal air pollution exposure has rarely been assessed. In addition, we are not aware of any study on neonatal BP and maternal residential traffic and land use indicators during pregnancy. We investigated the association between newborn BP and prenatal air pollution, traffic and land use indicators, using data from 427 term (gestational age > 36 weeks) births from the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort. Newborn BP was measured using an automated device within 4 days after birth. Daily maternal residential air pollutants during pregnancy, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ≤10 μm (PM10), black carbon (BC), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), were modelled using a high-resolution spatial-temporal model. The association between newborn BP and air pollution during the last 15 weeks of pregnancy was assessed using distributed lag models. Each 5 μg/m3 increment in prenatal PM2.5 exposure was associated with a 2.4 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.5 to 4.2) higher systolic and a 1.8 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.2 to 3.5) higher diastolic BP at birth. Overall estimates for PM10 were similar but those for NO2 and BC did not reach significance. Associations between newborn BP and exposures during the last 4 to 5 weeks of pregnancy were significant for all pollutants. An IQR (20.3%) increment in percentage residential greenness in a 5 km radius was associated with a 1.2 mm Hg (95% CI, −2.5 to 0.1; p = 0.07) lower systolic and a 1.2 mm Hg (95% CI, −2.4 to −0.0; p = 0.05) lower diastolic BP. An IQR (4.1%) increment in percentage industrial area in a 5 km radius was associated with a 1.0 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.1 to 1.9; p = 0.03) higher diastolic BP. Residential traffic indicators did not significantly associate with newborn BP. Prenatal air pollution exposure, greenness, and industrial area at maternal residence may affect offspring BP from birth onwards. •In utero exposure to PM, BC, and NO2 in the last five gestational weeks was associated with a higher neonatal blood pressure.•Percentage greenness at maternal residence during pregnancy was negatively associated with blood pressure of the newborn.•Percentage industrial area at maternal residence was associated with a higher neonatal diastolic blood pressure.•The health implications and later-life persistence of