Decreased birth weight after prenatal exposure to wildfires on the eastern coast of Korea in 2000

• 발행기관: 한국역학회
• 저자명: En-Joo Jung Ah-Young Lim Jong-Hun Kim
• 간행물 정보: 『Epidemiology and Health』45, 1~7쪽, 전체 7쪽
• 주제분류: 의약학 > 면역학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2023.01.01

영문 초록

OBJECTIVES: In April 2000, a series of wildfires occurred simultaneously in five adjacent small cities located on the eastern coast of Korea. These wildfires burned approximately 23,794 hectares of forestland over several days. We investigated the effects of prenatal exposure to the by-products generated by wildfire disasters on birth weight. METHODS: Birth weight data were obtained for 1999-2001 from the birth registration database of the Korean National Statistical Office and matched with the zip code and exposed/unexposed pregnancy week for days of the wildfires. Generalized linear models were then used to assess the associations between birth weight and exposure to wildfires after adjusting for fetal sex, gestational age, parity, maternal age, maternal education, paternal education, and average exposed atmospheric temperature. RESULTS: Compared with unexposed pregnancies before and after the wildfires, mean birth weight decreased by 41.4 g (95% confidence interval [CI], -72.4 to -10.4) after wildfire exposure during the first trimester, 23.2 g (95% CI, -59.3 to 13.0) for exposure during the second trimester, and 27.0 g (95% CI, -63.8 to 9.8) during the third trimester. In the adjusted model for infants exposed in utero during any trimester, the mean birth weight decreased by 32.5 g (95% CI, -53.2 to -11.7). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a 1% reduction in birth weight after wildfire exposure. Thus, exposure to by-products generated during a wildfire disaster during pregnancy may slow fetal growth and cause developmental delays.

키워드

Birth weight Prenatal exposure Trimester Wildfire Disaster Korea