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Prenatal Exposure to PM2.5 and Infant Birth Outcomes: Evidence from a Population-Wide Database

Author

Listed:
  • Jahanshahi, Babak

    (Queen's University Belfast)

  • Johnston, Brian

    (Ordnance Survey)

  • McVicar, Duncan

    (Queen's University Belfast)

  • McGovern, Mark E.

    (Rutgers University)

  • O’Reilly, Dermot

    (Queen's University Belfast)

  • Rowland, Neil

    (Queen's University Belfast)

  • Vlachos, Stavros

    (Queen's University Belfast)

Abstract

There are growing concerns about the impact of pollution on maternal and infant health. In the UK in 2018, 36% of local authorities had levels of PM2.5 where exposure exceeded the annual level recommended by the World Health Organisation at the time. Using a population database of births in Northern Ireland linked to localised geographic information on pollution in mothers’ postcodes (zip codes) of residence during pregnancy, we examine whether prenatal exposure to PM2.5 is associated with a comprehensive range of birth outcomes. Overall, we find little evidence that particulate matter is related to worse infant outcomes once we implement a fixed effects approach that accounts for time-invariant factors common to mothers. While reducing pollution remains an urgent public health priority, our results imply that improvements in short-run levels of prenatal PM2.5 exposure are unlikely to be sufficient by themselves to reduce disparities in birth outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Jahanshahi, Babak & Johnston, Brian & McVicar, Duncan & McGovern, Mark E. & O’Reilly, Dermot & Rowland, Neil & Vlachos, Stavros, 2022. "Prenatal Exposure to PM2.5 and Infant Birth Outcomes: Evidence from a Population-Wide Database," IZA Discussion Papers 15464, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15464
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Clemens Noelke & Mark E. McGovern & Daniel J. Corsi & Marcia Pescador-Jimenez & Ari Stern & Ian Sue Wing & Lisa Berkman, 2016. "Increasing Ambient Temperature Reduces Emotional Well-Being," CHaRMS Working Papers 16-01, Centre for HeAlth Research at the Management School (CHaRMS).
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    Cited by:

    1. Rowland, Neil & McVicar, Duncan & Vlachos, Stavros & Jahanshahi, Babak & McGovern, Mark E. & O’Reilly, Dermot, 2024. "Long-term Exposure to Ambient PM2.5 and Population Health: Evidence from Longitudinally-linked Census Data," QBS Working Paper Series 2024/01, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's Business School.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sibling fixed-effects; infant outcomes; PM2.5; pollution; birth weight;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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