ENVIRONMENTAL-POLLUTION AND DELIVERY OUTCOME IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN - A STUDY WITH CENTRAL REGISTRIES

Objective. To study whether differences in delivery outcome correlated with pollution levels in the municipalities of a county in southern S weden (Malmohus). Methods: The effects of air and ground pollution on delivery outcome were studied in 38 718 women who lived, and were deli vered, in Malmohus county in southern Sweden during the period 1985-90 . Delivery outcome was compared between different municipalities arran ged according to the degree of pollution. Results: Neither air nor gro und pollution affected the odds ratios for short gestation or low birt hweight. No significant effect was seen on perinatal deaths or non-tri vial malformations, but in the municipality with the highest arsenic c oncentration, 14 infants died perinatally versus the expected 7.4, and the odds ratio for stillbirths reached formal statistical significanc e. Conclusions: Environmental pollution in this county does not seem t o be a major determinant of delivery outcome.