Just when pregnant women thought they were worrying about every possible danger, a new concern has emerged from a new study in in Houston, Tex., from Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. Researchers found a possible connection between preterm births and traffic pollution, with pregnant women who live outside the Houston beltway and have longer commutes to work more likely to deliver their babies early.
The researchers were curious as to whether exposure to the chemicals found in traffic pollution had an effect similar to that of maternal smoking, which has been found to result in preterm birth. They focused on Houston-area women who delivered their babies prematurely, finding that women who lived in the inner loop and spend less time in traffic had lower rates of preterm births than those who lived in the outer loop.
The study had to rely on a database showing zip codes of where women work compared to where they live. Information from over 9,000 pregnancies was combined with data on traffic exposure. They found that, although there is less traffic congestion in suburban areas, most of the pregnant women who live there commute to work, resulting in more exposure to noise and air pollution.
The study found that preterm birth rates were significantly higher for women who live outside the 610 loop than for women living inside. Dr. Maike Kahr, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor, said “It’s important to know if there are factors that might lead to preterm birth that you can potentially mitigate or change. If ultimately we can demonstrate through several channels a link between vehicle exhaust and commute routes with preterm birth, then communities may choose to invest in alternative commuter options.
Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn illness and death. The U.S. has a much higher rate of preterm births than other countries, at about 10 to 12 percent of all deliveries. “It is very unique in the U.S. that preterm birth rates are so high, and we really don’t know why,” said Kahr.