Associations of residential greenspace exposure and fetal growth across four areas in Spain

An accumulating body of evidence has associated exposure to greenspace with improved birth outcomes, including higher birth weight and lower risk of low birth weight; however, evidence on such association with in-utero fetal growth is scarce. We explored the influence of maternal exposure to residential greenspace and fetal growth in four INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) Spanish birth cohorts (2003-2008), with 2,465 participants. Residential greenspace was characterised by the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) average across 100 m, 300 m, and 500 m buffers around the residence. Repeated ultrasound measurements of the abdominal circumference (AC), biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) were used. We created customised-generalised least squares models to evaluate associations of residential greenspace exposure on each fetal growth parameter, controlled for the relevant confounders. There were associations be-tween the 500 m buffer and BPD, FL, and AC. We also found associations in the 300 m buffer and FL and AC. The associations in the 100 m buffer were null. Estimates were higher among participants with lower socioeconomic status. Mediation analyses found that air pollution might explain 15-37% of our associations. Mediation by physical activity was not observed. Greenspace exposure may be beneficial for fetal growth.We are grateful to all the participants for their generous collaboration. A full roster of the INMA Project founders can be found at: https://www.proyectoinma.org/proyecto-inma/financiadores/. Maria Torres Toda is funded by a PFIS (Contrato Predoctoral de Formación en Investigación en Salud) fellowship (FI17/00128) awarded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Maria Foraster is beneficiary of an AXA Research Fund grant. ISGlobal acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and State Research Agency through the “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019–2023” Program (CEX2018-000806-S), and support from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Program

Prenatal Exposure to Residential Air Pollution and Infant Mental Development: Modulation by Antioxidants and Detoxification Factors

Background: Air pollution effects on children’s neurodevelopment have recently been suggested to occur most likely through the oxidative stress pathway

Susceptible windows of exposure to fine particulate matter and fetal growth trajectories in the Spanish INMA (INfancia y Medio Ambiente) birth cohort

While prior studies report associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and fetal growth, few have explored temporally refined susceptible windows of exposure.We included 2328 women from the Spanish INMA Project from 2003 to 2008. Longitudinal growth curves were constructed for each fetus using ultrasounds from 12, 20, and 34 gestational weeks. Z-scores representing growth trajectories of biparietal diameter, femur length, abdominal circumference (AC), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) during early (0-12 weeks), mid-(12-20 weeks), and late (20-34 weeks) pregnancy were calcu-lated. A spatio-temporal random forest model with back-extrapolation provided weekly PM2.5 exposure estimates for each woman during her pregnancy. Distributed lag non-linear models were implemented within the Bayesian hierarchical framework to identify susceptible windows of exposure for each outcome and cumulative effects [13cum, 95% credible interval (CrI)] were aggregated across adjacent weeks. For comparison, general linear models evaluated associations between PM2.5 averaged across multi-week periods (i.e., weeks 1-11, 12-19, and 20-33) and fetal growth, mutually adjusted for exposure during each period. Results are presented as %change in z-scores per 5 mu g/m3 in PM2.5, adjusted for covariates.Weeks 1-6 [13cum =-0.77%, 95%CrI (-1.07%,-0.47%)] were identified as a susceptible window of exposure for reduced late pregnancy EFW while weeks 29-33 were positively associated with this outcome [13cum = 0.42%, 95%CrI (0.20%, 0.64%)]. A similar pattern was observed for AC in late pregnancy. In linear regression models, PM2.5 exposure averaged across weeks 1-11 was associated with reduced late pregnancy EFW and AC; but, positive associations between PM2.5 and EFW or AC trajectories in late pregnancy were not observed.PM2.5 exposures during specific weeks may affect fetal growth differentially across pregnancy and such as-sociations may be missed by averaging exposure across multi-week periods, highlighting the importance of temporally refined exposure estimates when studying the associations of air pollution with fetal growth

Prenatal exposure to NO2 and ultrasound measures of fetal growth in the Spanish INMA cohort

__Background:__ Air pollution exposure during pregnancy has been associated with impaired fetal growth. However, few studies have measured fetal biometry longitudinally, remaining unclear as to whether there are windows of special vulnerability. __Objective:__ The aim was to investigate the impact of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure on fetal and neonatal biometry in the Spanish INMA study. Methods: Biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), abdominal circumference (AC), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) were evaluated for up to 2,478 fetuses in each trimester of pregnancy. Size at 12, 20, and 34 weeks of gestation and growth between these points, as well as anthropometry at birth, were assessed by SD scores derived using cohort-specific growth curves. Temporally adjusted land-use regression was used to estimate exposure to NO2 at home addresses for up to 2,415 fetuses. Associations were investigated by linear regression in each cohort and subsequent meta-analysis. __Results:__ A 10-μg/m3 increase in average exposure to NO2 during weeks 0-12 was associated with reduced growth at weeks 0-12 in AC (-2.1%; 95% CI: -3.7, -0.6) and EFW (-1.6%; 95% CI: -3.0, -0.3). The same exposure was inversely associated with reduced growth at weeks 20-34 in BPD (-2.6%; 95% CI: -3.9, -1.2), AC (-1.8%; 95% CI: -3.3, -0.2), and EFW (-2.1%; 95% CI: -3.7, -0.2). A less consistent pattern of association was observed for FL. The negative association of this exposure with BPD and EFW was significantly stronger in smoking versus nonsmoking mothers. __Conclusi

Effect of employment and domestic load on fetal development and length of gestation in a birth cohort study

Fundamentos: Los estudios publicados no son concluyentes sobre el impacto de determinadas exposiciones ocupacionales en el embarazo, evidenciando la necesidad de considerar el doble rol, profesional y familiar, de las mujeres. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de la situación laboral y de la carga doméstica de trabajo en la duración de la gestación y en el desarrollo fetal. Métodos: Mediante modelos de regresión univariante y multivariante, se estudió la asociación entre partos pretérmino (PPT) (<37 semanas), recién nacidos con bajo peso a término (BPT) (<2500g) y pequeños para su edad gestacional (PEG) (<percentil 10) en peso, talla y perímetro cefálico en función de la situación laboral materna (empleo/no empleo) y la carga doméstica (baja/media/alta) en 2506 mujeres. Los análisis se hicieron utilizando SPSS y R. Resultados: Las mujeres con carga doméstica media tenían menos riesgo que el resto de mujeres de PPT (OR=0,41; IC95%:0,21-0,81), PEG en peso (OR=0,47; IC95%:0,32-0,69), talla (OR=0,57; IC95%:0,39-0,83) y perímetro cefálico (OR=0,58; IC95%:0,40-0,83); las mujeres con carga doméstica elevada también reducían su riesgo de PEG en peso: (OR=0,72; IC95%:0,54-0,98) y perímetro cefálico (OR=0,73; IC95%:0,54-0,99). Al analizar conjuntamente la situación laboral y la carga doméstica, las mujeres con carga doméstica media tenían menos riesgo de PPT (OR=0,29; IC95%:0,14-0,58) que las mujeres sin carga doméstica o con carga elevada. Conclusiones: Los resultados muestran un efecto protector de la carga de trabajo doméstico de grado medio y elevado, reduciendo la probabilidad de parto pretérmino y de nacidos pequeños para su edad gestacional.Background: Published studies are not conclusive on the impact of certain occupational exposures in pregnancy, stressing the need to consider the double role, professional and family, of women. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of employment and domestic load on the duration of pregnancy and fetal development. Methods: Using Univariate and Multivariate regression models, we studied the association of preterm deliveries (PPT) (<37 weeks), full term newborns with low weight (BPT) (<2500g) and small for their gestational age (PEG) (<10th percentile) in weight, length and head circumference according to work situation (employment/non-employment) and domestic load (low/ medium/ high) in 2506 women. The analyses were carried out using SPSS and R. Results: Women with medium domestic load have lower risk of PPT (OR=0.41, 95%CI:0.21-0.81), PEG in weight (OR=0.47, 95%CI:0.32-0.69), length (OR=0.57, 95%CI:0.39-0.83) and head circumference (OR=0.58, 95% CI:0.40-0.83) and with high load PEG in weight (OR=0.72, 95%CI:0.54-0.98) and head circumference (OR = 0.73, 95% CI:0.54-0.99). When analyzing employment situation and domestic load, women with medium domestic load have less risk of PPT (OR=0.29, 95%CI:0.14-0.58) than the absence of load or high domestic load. Conclusions: The results show a protective effect of the medium and high domestic load, reducing the probability of preterm birth and small for gestational age babies.Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0041), (FIS-PI13/2429, PI041436, PI042018, PI06/0867, PI07/0252, PI08/1151, PI09/02311, y FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, 09/02647, y MS13/00054), Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241, Conselleria de Sanitat, Generalitat Valenciana, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco (2005111093 y 2009111069), Gobierno Provincial de Guipúzcoa (DFG06/004 and DFG08/001), Obra Social Cajastur, Universidad de Oviedo, European Union Commission (QLK4-1999-01422, QLK4-2002-00603 and CONTAMED FP7-ENV-212502), Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (183/07), y Fundació Roger Torné

Prenatal and postnatal residential usage of insecticides in a multicenter birth cohort in Spain.

This study aimed to describe the residential use of insecticides in a birth cohort in Spain. Study subjects were 2 456 women enrolled into the INMA (Environment and Childhood) birth cohort followed prospectively during pregnancy and in the early postnatal period. The women were recruited at the beginning of their pregnancy between 2003 and 2008 in four regions of Spain. Socio-demographic, environmental and lifestyle information was obtained at two interviews during pregnancy, one at the first (mean:13.8 +/- 2.6 weeks of gestation) and the other at the third trimester (mean: 33.3 +/- 23 weeks of gestation). Information about prenatal use of indoor and outdoor insecticides (type, timing, place of application, place of storage) was obtained from the second interview. In a 3rd interview (mean: 16.2 +/- 6.9 months of age of children), information about postnatal indoor and outdoor insecticide use was obtained. Regression models examined the association between demographic and lifestyle factors and pesticide use to determine which characteristics predicted use prenatally and postnatally. Fifty-four percent of women reported using indoor insecticides during pregnancy, 45% in their bedroom and 47% elsewhere in the house. Plug-in devices were the most frequent application methods used in the pregnant woman's bedroom and insecticide sprays elsewhere in the house. The maternal factors related to prenatal use of indoor insecticides were parity, country of birth, educational level, region of residence, having a garden or yard with plants, and living near an agricultural area. These products continued to be used postnatally, although 20% of the women stopped using them. Foetuses and children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure; thus knowing how pesticides are used during pregnancy and infancy may be a starting point for the study of their potential effects on health as well as useful for designing preventive actions. (aut.ref.