Associations of preconception and prenatal exposures to PM2.5 and its chemical components with risk of large-for-gestational age births
- VernacularTitle:孕前及孕期PM2.5及其化学组分暴露与大于胎龄儿发生风险的关联性研究
- Author:
Di WU
1
;
Bo PENG
1
;
Xingyan LIU
1
;
Ya ZHANG
2
;
Zhoupeng REN
3
;
Yuanyuan WANG
1
;
Xu MA
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Selectedarticle
- Keywords: fine particulate matter; chemical component; nitrate; sulfate; large for gestational age
- From: Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(6):676-683
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: Background Large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes and increased risks of offspring obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases later in life. Beyond traditional risk factors, exposure to environmental factors, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), before and during pregnancy may contribute to excessive fetal growth; however, the roles of specific chemical constituents and critical exposure windows remain unclear. Objective To examine the associations between maternal exposures to PM2.5 and its chemical constituents before and during pregnancy and the risk of delivering LGA infants. Methods Singleton pregnancies from the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project between 2010 and 2014 were included. Individual exposures to PM2.5 and its constituents were estimated for preconception and pregnancy windows using geocoded residential addresses. The associations of single and mixed exposures with LGA risk were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLMs) and qg-computation. Results Exposures to PM2.5 and its major chemical constituents were significantly associated with an increased LGA risk, with differences in effect magnitude across components. Secondary inorganic aerosols showed the strongest associations. For full-pregnancy exposure, nitrate (OR=1.330, 95%CI: 1.313, 1.347), ammonium (OR=1.279, 95%CI: 1.263, 1.295), and sulfate (OR=1.242, 95%CI: 1.227, 1.257) had larger effects on LGA risk than black carbon and organic matter. Analysis by exposure window indicated that the month preceding conception and the third trimester of pregnancy were critical exposure windows for susceptibility, while the strongest effect was observed for full-pregnancy exposure, suggesting a cumulative effect over time. Mixed exposure analysis further showed that nitrate and sulfate consistently accounted for the main positive contributions across different time windows. Conclusion Maternal exposures to PM2.5 and its chemical components before and during pregnancy are associated with an elevated LGA risk. Nitrate and sulfate show consistent and strong associations across pregnancy stages, underscoring the importance of component composition and exposure timing in fetal overgrowth.
