Association of very low birth weight with exposures to environmental sulfur dioxide and total suspended particulates

This paper presents results of a population-based case-control study of the association between maternal exposures to environmental sulfur dioxide and total suspended particulates (TSP) and risk for having a very low birth we ight (VLBW) baby, i.e., one weighing less than 1,500 g at birth. The study, which took place between April 1, 1986 and March 30, 1988, comprised 143 m others of VLBW babies and 202 mothers of babies weighing 2,500 g or more li ving in Georgia Health Care District 9. Environmental exposure estimates (m u g/m(3)) were obtained through environmental transport modeling that allow ed us to assign environmental sulfur dioxide and TSP exposure estimates at the birth home of each study subject. Exposures less than or equal to 9.94 mu g/m(3), the median of TSP and sulfur dioxide exposures for the controls, were considered as referent exposures. Exposures to atmospheric TSP and su lfur dioxide above the 95th percentile (56.75 mu g/m(3)) yielded an adjuste d odds ratio of 2.88 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16, 7.13), that from above the 75th to the 95th percentile (25.18-56.75 mu g/m(3)) yielded an ad justed odds ratio of 1.27 (95% CI: 0.68, 2.37), and that from above the med ian (9.94 mu g/m(3)) to the 75th percentile, an adjusted odds ratio of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.51, 1.72). The trend demonstrated in these adjusted estimates s uggests an association between VLBW and maternal exposures to high levels o f air pollution.