Abstract
Studies investigating the relationship between exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy and foetal growth restriction (FGR) in women who conceive by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are lacking. The objective was to investigate the effect of air pollutant exposure in pregnancy on FGR in pregnant women who conceive by IVF. We included pregnant women who conceived by IVF and delivered healthy singleton babies in Guangzhou from October 2018 to September 2023. We also collected data on air pollutant concentrations in Guangzhou during the same period. We analysed the impact of air pollution exposure during pregnancy on FGR. After adjusting for confounders, our analysis showed that in the first trimester, high concentrations of PM(10) and NO(2) in the fourth quartile significantly increased the risk of FGR. Specifically, the odds ratios were 6.430 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.035-39.96) for PM(10) and 10.73 (95% CI: 1.230-93.48) for NO(2). In the second trimester, exposure to PM(2.5), PM(10), and NO(2) was associated with an increased risk of FGR. In addition, subgroup analyses showed that exposure to NO(2) during pregnancy increased the risk of FGR in women aged 35 years and older. The results of this cross-sectional study suggest that exposure to PM(2.5), PM(10), and NO(2) in pregnant women who conceive by IVF is associated with the occurrence of FGR.