Prenatal exposure to traffic-related air pollution and glucose homeostasis: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Air pollution exposure has been linked with glucose dysregulation in pregnant women; however, evidence on these associations with fetal glucose homeostasis is unclear yet. We therefore aimed to evaluate the association of prenatal exposure to particulate matter (PM) and traffic indicators with fetal glucose homeostasis in cord blood samples. A total of 169 mother-infant pairs recruited from Mobini hospital of Sabzevar, Iran, were included in this cross-sectional study. Maternal exposure to PMs was estimated using land use regression models. Moreover, traffic indicators (i.e., total street length in 100, 300 and 500 m buffers and distance from residential home to the nearest major roads) were calculated based on the street map of Sabzevar. Cord blood glucose and insulin concentrations, HOMA-ꞵ, HOMA-S and HOMA-IR were used as glucose homeostasis markers. Higher maternal exposure to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were associated with higher cord blood glucose and insulin concentrations and HOMA-IR. Moreover, total streets length in 300 m buffer was positively associated with cord blood glucose and insulin concentrations and HOMA-IR. An increase in distance to major roads was associated with higher HOMA-ꞵ and HOMA-S and lower cord blood glucose and insulin concentrations as well as HOMA-IR. Overall, we found prenatal exposure to PMs and traffic indicators was associated with a higher risk of glucose homeostasis dysregulation in the fetus.

Keywords: Air pollution; Diabetes; Insulin; Metabolic disease; Traffic.