Pre-natal exposure to NO2 and PM2.5 and newborn lung function: An approach based on repeated personal exposure measurements

Johanna Lepeule; Isabelle Pin; Anne Boudier; Joane Quentin; Sarah Lyon-Caen; Karine Supernant; Emie Seyve; Ryan Chartier; Remy Slama; Valérie Siroux; SEPAGES study group

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.115656

Pre-natal exposure to NO₂ and PM_2.5 and newborn lung function: An approach based on repeated personal exposure measurements

Environ Res. 2023 Jun 1:226:115656. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115656. Epub 2023 Mar 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, 38000, Grenoble, France. Electronic address: Johanna.lepeule@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr.
² Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, 38000, Grenoble, France; Pediatric Department, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, Grenoble, France.
³ Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, 38000, Grenoble, France.
⁴ RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.

PMID: 36906269
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115656

Abstract

Context: While strong evidence supports adverse effects of pre-natal air pollution on child's lung function, previous studies rarely considered fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) or the potential role of offspring sex and no study examined the effects of pre-natal PM_2.5 on the lung function of the newborn.

Aim: We examined overall and sex-specific associations of personal pre-natal exposure to PM_2.5 and nitrogen (NO₂) with newborn lung function measurements.

Methods: This study relied on 391 mother-child pairs from the French SEPAGES cohort. PM_2.5 and NO₂ exposure was estimated by the average concentration of pollutants measured by sensors carried by the pregnant women during repeated periods of one week. Lung function was assessed with tidal breathing analysis (TBFVL) and nitrogen multiple breath washout (N₂MBW) test, performed at 7 weeks. Associations between pre-natal exposure to air pollutants and lung function indicators were estimated by linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders, and then stratified by sex.

Results: Mean exposure to NO₂ and PM_2.5 during pregnancy was 20.2 μg/m³ and 14.3 μg/m³, respectively. A 10 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 maternal personal exposure during pregnancy was associated with an adjusted 2.5 ml (2.3%) decrease in the functional residual capacity of the newborn (p-value = 0.11). In females, functional residual capacity was decreased by 5.2 ml (5.0%) (p = 0.02) and tidal volume by 1.6 ml (p = 0.08) for each 10 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5. No association was found between maternal NO₂ exposure and newborns lung function.

Conclusions: Personal pre-natal PM_2.5 exposure was associated with lower lung volumes in female newborns, but not in males. Our results provide evidence that pulmonary effects of air pollution exposure can be initiated in utero. These findings have long term implications for respiratory health and may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of PM_2.5 effects.

Keywords: Air pollution; Newborn; Personal exposure; Pregnancy; lung function.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / analysis
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Lung / chemistry
Male
Nitrogen / analysis
Nitrogen Dioxide / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Pregnancy

Substances

Nitrogen Dioxide
Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Nitrogen