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. 2019 Oct 2;16(19):3720.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16193720.

Impact of Wildfire Smoke on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Colorado, 2007-2015

Mona Abdo  1 , Isabella Ward  2 , Katelyn O'Dell  3 , Bonne Ford  4 , Jeffrey R Pierce  5 , Emily V Fischer  6 , James L Crooks  7   8
Affiliations

Impact of Wildfire Smoke on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Colorado, 2007-2015

Mona Abdo et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Colorado is regularly impacted by long-range transport of wildfire smoke from upwind regions. This smoke is a major source of ambient PM2.5. Maternal exposure to total PM2.5 during pregnancy has been linked to decreased birth weight and other adverse outcomes, although the impact of wildfire smoke contribution has only recently been investigated. The objective of this study was to estimate associations between adverse pregnancy outcomes and ambient wildfire smoke PM2.5. Wildfire smoke PM2.5 exposures were estimated using a previously published method incorporating ground-based monitors and remote sensing data. Logistic regression models stratified by ZIP code and mixed models with random intercept by ZIP code were used to test for associations. The primary outcomes of interest were preterm birth and birth weight. Secondary outcomes included gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, neonatal intensive care unit admission, assisted ventilation, small for gestational age, and low birth weight. Exposure to wildfire smoke PM2.5 over the full gestation and during the second trimester were positively associated with pre-term birth (OR = 1.076 (μg/m3)-1 [95% CI = 1.016, 1.139; p = 0.013] and 1.132 (μg/m3)-1 [95% CI = 1.088, 1.178]; p < 0.0001, respectively), while exposure during the first trimester was associated with decreased birth weight (-5.7 g/(μg/m3) [95% CI: -11.1, -0.4; p = 0.036]). Secondary outcomes were mixed.

Keywords: Colorado; NICU admission; PM2.5; assisted ventilation; birth weight; gestational diabetes; gestational hypertension; pre-term birth; small for gestational age; wildfire smoke.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Time series of monthly wildfire (red) and total PM2.5 (black) concentrations in Colorado. Values are averages of ZIP code-level concentrations weighted by number of births.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Map of mean wildfire smoke exposure density by ZIP code averaged over the full nine-year dataset. ZIP codes without recorded births are omitted.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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