Trace pollutants emitted by fossil fuel combustion and wildfires may increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes, a study has found.
Research shows that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) can increase inflammation levels in pregnant people, which can have negative effects on their children.Published in Science magazine on Friday.
Previous studies had already identified a link between PM 2.5 exposure and maternal and child health problems such as preeclampsia, low birth weight, and early childhood developmental delays. But this latest study, conducted by a research team led by Harvard University in California, is the first to examine the relationship between these pollutants and maternal and child health at the single-cell level.
“This study represents a major step forward in our understanding of the biological pathways by which PM 2.5 exposure affects pregnancy, maternal health, and fetal development,” said Corresponding author and director of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. said Kari Nadeau, professor of climate and population studies at . said in a statement.
PM 2.5 pollution from burning gasoline, oil, diesel fuel, and wood can come from a variety of sources, including vehicle exhaust, industrial processes, residential wood burning, and wildfires.
Breathing in these particles can increase your risk of a variety of health problems, including heart disease, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses.
To understand the relationship between PM 2.5 and birth outcomes at a cellular level, researchers collected blood samples from 168 pregnant participants in Fresno, California, at 20 weeks of pregnancy. As a basis for comparison, samples were also taken from 151 age-matched non-pregnant women in Fresno and the Bay Area.
The researchers then used air quality data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency to calculate the participants' PM 2.5 exposure levels one week, three weeks, six weeks, and nine months before the blood draw. .
They then used a method called cytometry (a laboratory technique used to measure the number and characteristics of cells) to determine whether epigenetic changes, that is, changes in the DNA sequence rather than changes in the DNA sequence, are caused by behavioral or environmental factors. The resulting changes in gene expression were monitored.
According to the study, scientists were able to map changes in histones, proteins that help control the release of other proteins called cytokines, within each cell. Histones help regulate inflammation and may affect pregnancy.
Ultimately, researchers found that exposure to PM 2.5 may affect an individual's histone patterns during pregnancy in a way that disrupts cytokine genes and causes increased inflammation in both parents and offspring. I discovered that. According to the study, such inflammation can have a negative impact on pregnancy outcomes.
“Our findings highlight the importance of minimizing pregnant women's exposure to air pollution to protect maternal and fetal health,” said co-author and director of the Harvard Chan School of Environmental Health. researcher Yoon Soo Jeong said in a statement.
“Policy interventions to improve air quality and clinical guidelines that help reduce pregnant women's exposure to pollution can have a direct impact on reducing pregnancy complications,” she said. added.
