Preterm birth and PM in Puerto Rico: evidence from the PROTECT birth cohort.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB, birth before 37 weeks of gestation) has been associated with adverse health outcomes across the lifespan. Evidence on the association between PTB and prenatal exposure to air pollutants is inconsistent, and is especially lacking for ethnic/racial minority populations.

Methods: We obtained data on maternal characteristics and behaviors and PTB and other birth outcomes for women participating in the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) cohort, who lived in municipalities located along the North Coast of Puerto Rico.

Non-nutritive suck and airborne metal exposures among Puerto Rican infants.

Air pollution has been shown to impact multiple measures of neurodevelopment in young children. Its effects on particularly vulnerable populations, such as ethnic minorities, however, is less studied. To address this gap in the literature, we assess the associations between infant non-nutritive suck (NNS), an early indicator of central nervous system integrity, and air pollution exposures in Puerto Rico.

Low birth weight and PM in Puerto Rico.

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) has been associated with adverse health outcomes across the lifespan. Among ethnic/racial minority populations, few studies have examined the association between LBW (<2,500 or ≥2,500 g) and prenatal exposure to air pollution, a key modifiable environmental risk factor.

Methods: We examined the association between LBW and prenatal exposure to PM in a Hispanic and black population in Puerto Rico between 1999 and 2013, adjusting for individual and municipality-level confounders.