Maternal Environmental Exposures and Birth Weight in Canada: Reducing Adverse Infant Health Outcomes

Abstract

This thesis examined the relationship between environmental exposures and adverse birth outcomes. The first study was a scoping review that investigated the associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and greenness with birth weight (BW), low birth weight (LBW), and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) in Canada. Increased exposure to air pollutants was associated with decreased BW while the opposite was true for greenness. A slight association was found between increased PM2.5 exposure and LBW and SGA. Increased exposure to greenness was associated with decreased odds of SGA. The second study used logistic regression models to investigate the associations between PM2.5, NO2, and greenness with LBW. It was found that increased greenness was associated with decreased odds of LBW in infants from low-risk pregnancies in Ontario. The results of this thesis suggest that the maintenance of and access to green areas may lead to improved birth outcomes in Canada.