Ambient air pollution and birth defects in Haikou city, Hainan province

BACKGROUND Evidence shows exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation, but the results for birth defects have been inconsistent. METHODS The data on birth defects was collected from the Birth Defects Monitoring Network of Haikou city. Air pollution data for PM10, SO2 and NO2 were obtained from Haikou Environmental Monitoring Center. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate these associations. RESULTS The risk of birth defects was related to PM10 levels (adjusted OR = 1.039; 95% CI = 1.016-1.063) and SO2 levels (adjusted OR = 0.843; 95% CI = 0.733-0.969) for the second month of pregnancy. In the third month of pregnancy, the risk of birth defects was also related to PM10 levels (adjusted OR = 1.066; 95% CI = 1.043-1.090) and SO2 levels (adjusted OR = 0.740; 95% CI = 0.645-0.850). CONCLUSION The study provides evidence that exposure to PM10 and SO2 during the second and third month of pregnancy may associated with the risk of birth defects.