New Data Shows The Association Between Air Pollution And Miscarriage Risk
Highlights From the American Society For Reproductive Medicine’s 2023 Scientific Congress
New Orleans, LA – Research presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM) Scientific Congress is examining the association between ambient air pollution and miscarriage in a community-based cohort of people attempting pregnancy.
In an effort to investigate the associations of ambient air pollutants with pregnancy loss in a large, prospective, pre-conception study, researchers assessed six exposure windows including spermatogenesis and the follicular phase and luteal-placental shift window of the conception cycle. In each window, they estimated the daily average and peak concentrations for each pollutant. Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models with delayed entry were used to estimate the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for pregnancy loss per interquartile range increase in pollutant concentration.
The data collected indicated higher levels of NO2 and PM10 were associated with increased miscarriage. Traffic-related air pollution is a primary source of NO2. The preconception period and early pregnancy were sensitive windows.
Researchers concluded the most consistent associations were between increasing NO2 exposure and increased miscarriage, with all estimates greater than one. In the follicular phase, average NO2 exposure was associated with over twice the risk of miscarriage. Increased miscarriage was associated with a 1-day peak PM10 in the luteal-placental shift window. Average CO exposure during spermatogenesis was associated with reduced miscarriage, while other CO estimates for the same window were null or above one.
- P – 455 Jukic et al “Air Pollution In Critical Windows Of Exposure And Spontaneous Miscarriage In A Preconception Cohort”
“As we continue to hear more and more about the negative effects of climate change and pollution on our planet, this research supplies patients and reproductive professionals with timely information on the damaging effects it has on reproduction specifically.” Said Michael Thomas, MD, President of ASRM. “It is our hope that this research will continue and steps to reduce pollution and slow climate change are implemented.”
To view these abstracts and more in full, please visit: https://www.fertstert.org/issue/S0015-0282(23)X0012-0
