Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38037459›Full record

ReviewBJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology2024

Ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: A review of underlying mechanisms.

Julia C Fussell, Eric Jauniaux, Rachel B Smith, Graham J Burton

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
44citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
11.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

44 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 70 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Julia C FussellMRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0057-6654
Eric JauniauxEGA Institute for Women's Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0925-7737
Rachel B SmithMRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4000-2919
Graham J BurtonDepartment of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8677-4143
National Institute for Health Research · GBUniversity College London · GBUniversity of Cambridge · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/S019669/1Wellcome Trust 209376
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Epidemiological data provide varying degrees of evidence for associations between prenatal exposure to ambient air pollutants and adverse birth outcomes (suboptimal measures of fetal growth, preterm birth and stillbirth). To assess further certainty of effects, this review examines the experimental literature base to identify mechanisms by which air pollution (particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone) could cause adverse effects on the developing fetus. It likely that this environmental insult impacts multiple biological pathways important for sustaining a healthy pregnancy, depending upon the composition of the pollutant mixture and the exposure window owing to changes in physiologic maturity of the placenta, its circulations and the fetus as pregnancy ensues. The current body of evidence indicates that the placenta is a target tissue, impacted by a variety of critical processes including nitrosative/oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, epigenetic changes, as well as vascular dysregulation of the maternal-fetal unit. All of the above can disturb placental function and, as a consequence, could contribute to compromised fetal growth as well increasing the risk of stillbirth. Furthermore, given that there is often an increased inflammatory response associated with preterm labour, inflammation is a plausible mechanism mediating the effects of air pollution on premature delivery. In the light of increased urbanisation and an ever-changing climate, both of which increase ambient air pollution and negatively affect vulnerable populations such as pregnant individuals, it is hoped that the collective evidence may contribute to decisions taken to strengthen air quality policies, reductions in exposure to air pollution and subsequent improvements in the health of those not yet born.

Indexed as

Air PollutantsAir PollutionPremature BirthFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornInflammationMaternal ExposurePlacentaPregnancyStillbirthAir Pollutantsadverse birth outcomesambient air pollutionendocrine disruptionepigenetic changesinflammationmechanismsoxidative stressplacenta

Identifiers

PMID38037459
PMCPMC7615717
OpenAlexW4389242334

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.