Effect of Particulate Matter 2.5 on Fetal Growth in Male and Preterm Infants through Oxidative Stress.

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5 ) levels are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this retrospective cohort study, we examined whether the concentration of indoor PM 2.5 affected pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, we evaluated biomarkers of pregnancy-related complications caused by fine dust. We collected clinical information and data based on residential addresses from the Air Korea database to assess PM 2.5 exposure levels. As a multicenter prospective cohort study, we measured the indoor PM 2.5 concentration and inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. The PM 2.5 concentration of the low-birth-weight (LBW) delivery group was 27.21 μg/m 3 , which was significantly higher than that of the normal-birth-weight (NBW) group (26.23 μg/m 3 ) ( p = 0.02). When the newborns were divided by sex, the PM 2.5 concentration of the LBW group was 27.89 μg/m 3 in male infants, which was significantly higher than that of the NBW group (26.26 μg/m 3 ) ( p = 0.01). In the prospective study, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine significantly increased in the high-concentration group (113.55 ng/mL, compared with 92.20 ng/mL in the low-concentration group); in the high-concentration group, the rates of preterm birth (PTB) and small size for gestational age significantly increased ( p < 0.01, p = 0.01). This study showed an association between PM 2.5 , oxidative stress, and fetal growth, with the PTB group being more vulnerable.