By Zara Abrams
September 12, 2024
Women exposed to higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) or inhalable particulate matter (PM10) during the second trimester of pregnancy face an almost fourfold increased risk of postpartum depression, compared to women exposed to lower levels of those air pollutants. That higher risk persists for at least three years, according to a study just published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
“What’s really novel about this work is that we were able to extend the examination of depression beyond the first year postpartum, and have shown the sustained effect of air pollution during pregnancy on symptoms of depression all the way through three years postpartum,” said Tracy Bastain, PhD, an associate professor of clinical population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and senior author of the study.
NO2 comes from the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles and power plants, while PM10, which refers to particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter, can include everything from dust and pollen to pollutants from factories and wildfires. Exposure to these chemicals in high concentrations or over long time periods is known to increase a person’s risk for a range of health problems, including asthma, heart attack and stroke. An emerging area of research, bolstered by the team at the Keck School of Medicine, is now examining the long-term effects of these and other chemical exposures on the health of mothers and children.