Effects of Air Pollution on Blood Pressure of Pregnant Women

摘要

The aim of our study is to evaluate effects on blood pressure of pregnant women exposed to air pollution. The subjects were 654 pregnant women, aged 25-40 years, living for more than five years in the same home. The exposed group of pregnant women (n=348) live in an urban area with a high level of air pollution, while the pregnant women (n=306) in the comparison group, designed as a non-exposed group, live in an area with a lower level of air pollution. The air concentrations of black smoke, sulfur dioxide, and lead in sediment matter were determined in the period from 2004 to 2008. The diagnosis of high blood pressure is made using pre-defined criteria. No effect of air pollution exposure on pregnancy-induced hypertension was found in mul-tivariate logistic regression analysis (p>0.05; 95% CI: 0.937-2.219). However, further research using more rigorous measures of exposure to air pollution as well as additional measures of blood pressure in pregnancy are needed to confirm the relationships.