Air Pollution, Inflammation and Preterm Birth: A Mechanistic Study in Mexico City

Principal Investigator

Marie O'Neill

Co-Investigators

Brisa Sánchez, Felipe Vadillo-Ortega, Leonora Rojas-Bracho, Alvaro Osornio-Vargas, Daniel Brown

Funding Sources

National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

About this Project

Preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal mortality and is associated with long-term adverse health consequences for surviving infants. No effective means for prevention of prematurity currently exists, and with preterm birth rates rising in the U.S. and worldwide, investigating possible causal mechanisms is a global public health priority. A recent Institute of Medicine Report notes that air pollution exposure may be a significant cause of prematurity, but most published studies are based on population birth registries and lack the individual, clinical data needed to elucidate possible biological mechanisms mediating these epidemiological associations. This proposed work presents a unique opportunity to study those mechanisms in a new cohort of 800 pregnant women residing in diverse regions of Mexico City, a mega-city with high air pollution levels. We will advance understanding of prematurity by investigating how air pollution and inflammation may act together to influence the outcome of pregnancy, and whether certain periods of gestation represent critical time windows and opportunities for preventive interventions, both clinical and environmental. This multi-disciplinary, global health collaboration will evaluate potential environmental and clinical determinants of preterm delivery, with the goal of developing unique knowledge with far-reaching prevention implications.