Maternal Exposure to Ozone and the Risk of Birth Defects: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Study in Southwestern China

Abstract

A few studies have explored the relationship between air pollution exposure and the risk of birth defects; however, the ozone-related (O3) effects on preconception and first-trimester exposures are still unknown. In this time-stratified case-crossover study, conditional logistic regressions were applied to explore the associations between O3 exposure and the risk of birth defects in Chongqing, China, and stratified analyses were constructed to evaluate the modifiable factors. A total of 6601 cases of birth defects were diagnosed, of which 56.16% were male. O3 exposure was associated with an increased risk of birth defects, and the most significant estimates were observed in the first month before pregnancy: a 10 ug/m3 increase of O3 was related to an elevation of 4.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.4–5.1%]. The associations between O3 exposure and congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system were statistically significant during almost all exposure periods. Pregnant women with lower education and income, and from rural areas, were more susceptible to O3 exposure, with the strongest odds ratios (ORs) of 1.066 (95%CI, 1.046–1.087), 1.086 (95%CI, 1.034–1.140), and 1.053 (95%CI, 1.034–1.072), respectively. Our findings highlight the health risks of air pollution exposure and raise awareness of pregnant women’s vulnerability and the susceptibility window period.

Keywords

• ozone
• birth defect
• case-crossover