Journal article
Gestational Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Perinatal Outcomes in the ECHO Cohort: Associations across Pregnancy Windows
Environmental research, v 292, p123587
22 Dec 2025
PMID: 41443492
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Evidence is inconsistent regarding which windows of PM2.5 exposure are critical for adverse perinatal outcomes. We investigated associations between timing of gestational PM2.5 exposure and perinatal outcomes. Participants included 19,108 mother-infant dyads from 51 sites of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort. Repeated measures of PM2.5 exposure were included based on high-resolution spatiotemporal models for trimesters 1–3, early first trimester (≤14 days), and late first trimester (70–92 days). We estimated associations of PM2.5 exposure (per 5μg/m3 increase) and continuous outcomes (gestational age at birth [GA] and birthweight for gestational age z-scores [BWZs]) using generalized estimating equation (GEE) models for linear regression. Poisson regression via GEE was used to estimate risk ratios (RRs) of PM2.5 exposure (per 5μg/m3 increase) with binary outcomes (preterm birth [PTB], <37 completed weeks of gestation), and term small for gestational age [SGA], <10th percentile). We explored effect modification by participants’ characteristics. In fully adjusted models, early 1st trimester PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower BWZ (β = -0.03, 95% CI -0.06, -0.001); association with term SGA was RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.99, 1.13. Results were mostly null for other windows of gestational exposure. When stratified by sex, early pregnancy PM2.5 exposure and lower BWZ associations were observed among females, but not males. Suggestive evidence indicates that associations of PM2.5 exposure with GA, PTB risk, and term SGA risk may vary by maternal race and ethnicity. Our results suggest that policies and practices that reduce the risks of PM2.5 exposure, particularly in pre-conception and early pregnancy, may improve perinatal outcomes.
•Early pregnancy PM2.5 exposure was associated with birthweight for gestational age z-scores•Among term infants, early pregnancy PM2.5 exposure was associated with SGA•Infant sex, maternal race, and ethnicity may modify PM2.5-birth outcome associations
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Details
- Title
- Gestational Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Perinatal Outcomes in the ECHO Cohort: Associations across Pregnancy Windows
- Creators
- Adaeze W. Nzegwu - Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USAAisha S. Dickerson - Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USAKristin Miller - University of WashingtonAdam Szpiro - University of WashingtonAlison E. Hipwell - University of PittsburghAmy J. Elliot - Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, SD, USAAmy M. Padula - University of California, San FranciscoAnne L. Dunlop - Emory University School of MedicineAnne P. Starling - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillAssiamira Ferrara - Kaiser PermanenteCarrie V. Breton - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USAChristine T. Loftus - University of WashingtonCindy T. McEvoy - University of PortlandDana Dabelea - Colorado School of Public HealthDaphne Koinis-Mitchell - University of ProvidenceDonghai Liang - Emory UniversityEmily Oken - Harvard Pilgrim Health CareEmily S. Barrett - Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyHeather Volk - Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USAJames E. Gern - University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthJoseph B. Stanford - University of UtahJulie B. Herbstman - Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USAJun Wu - University of California, IrvineKristen Lyall - AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USALeonardo Trasande - Leonardo Trasande, Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USALeslie D. Leve - University of OregonMargaret R. Karagas - Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth University, Hanover, NH, USANicolò Pini - Columbia University Irving Medical CenterRosalind J. Wright - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiRuby H.N. Nguyen - University of MinnesotaSusan L. Schantz - University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignThomas G. O’Connor - University of RochesterSheela Sathyanarayana - University of WashingtonCatherine J. Karr - University of WashingtonDaniel A. Enquobahrie - University of Washingtonfor the ECHO Cohort Consortium
- Publication Details
- Environmental research, v 292, p123587
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc; SAN DIEGO
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- (Dunlop): UG3/UH3OD023279, UG3/UH3OD023289, UG3/UH3OD023282, UH3OD023287, UG3/UH3OD023365, UG3/UH3OD023244, UG3/UH3OD023275, UH3OD023271, UG3OD035528, UH3OD023347, UG3/UH3OD023389, UG3/UH3OD023344, UH3OD023268, UG3/UH3OD023288, UG3/UH3OD023342, UG3/UH3OD023349, UH3OD023286, UG3OD035533, UG3/UH3OD023348, UG3/UH3OD023285, UG3/UH3OD023290, UG3/UH3OD023272, UG3/UH3OD023249, UG3/UH3OD023305, UG3/UH3OD023337, UG3OD035508, UG3OD035509, UG3OD035513, UG3OD035532, UG3OD035516, UG3OD035517, UG3OD035518, UG3OD035519, UG3OD035521, UG3OD035527, UG3OD035540, UG3OD035543, UG3OD035537, UG3OD035529, UG3OD035542, UG3OD035550, UG3OD035536, UG3OD035544
Dunlop) , UG3/UH3OD023279 (Amy Elliott) , UG3/UH3OD023289 (Assiamira Ferrara) , UG3/UH3OD023282 (James Gern) , UH3OD023287 (Carrie Breton) , UG3/UH3OD023365 (Irva Hertz-Picciotto) , UG3/UH3OD023244 (Alison Hipwell) , UG3/UH3OD023275 (Margaret Karagas) , UH3OD023271 and UG3OD035528 (Catherine Karr) , UH3OD023347 (Barry Lester) , UG3/UH3OD023389 (Leslie Leve) , UG3/UH3OD023344 (Debra MacKenzie) , UH3OD023268 (Scott Weiss) , UG3/UH3OD023288 (Cynthia McEvoy) , UG3/UH3OD023342 (Kristen Lyall) , UG3/UH3OD023349 (Thomas O'Connor) , UH3OD023286 and UG3OD035533 (Emily Oken) , UG3/UH3OD023348 (Mike O'Shea) , UG3/UH3OD023285 (Jean Kerver) , UG3/UH3OD023290 (Julie Herbstman) , UG3/UH3OD023272 (Susan Schantz) , UG3/UH3OD023249 (Joseph Stanford) , UG3/UH3OD023305 (Leonardo Trasande) , UG3/UH3OD023337 (Rosalind Wright) , UG3OD035508 (Sheela Sathyanarayana) , UG3OD035509 (Anne Marie Singh) , UG3OD035513 and UG3OD035532 (Annemarie Stroustrup) , UG3OD035516 and UG3OD035517 (Tina Hartert) , UG3OD035518 (Jennifer Straughen) , UG3OD035519 (Qi Zhao) , UG3OD035521 (Katherine Rivera-Spoljaric) , UG3OD035527 (Emily S Barrett) , UG3OD035540 (Monique Marie Hedderson) , UG3OD035543 (Kelly J Hunt) , UG3OD035537 (Sunni L Mumford) , UG3OD035529 (Hong-Ngoc Nguyen) , UG3OD035542 (Hudson Santos) , UG3OD035550 (Rebecca Schmidt) , UG3OD035536 (Jonathan Slaughter) , UG3OD035544 (Kristina Whitworth) .
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001660406800001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105027009289
- Other Identifier
- 991022147202204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health