Effect of Particulate Matter 2.5 on Fetal Growth in Male and Preterm Infants through Oxidative Stress

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM ) levels are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this retrospective cohort study, we examined whether the concentration of indoor PM affected pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, we evaluated biomarkers of pregnancy-related complications caused by fine dust. We collected clinical information and data based on residential addresses from the Air Korea database to assess PM exposure levels. As a multicenter prospective cohort study, we measured the indoor PM concentration and inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. The PM concentration of the low-birth-weight (LBW) delivery group was 27.21 μg/m , which was significantly higher than that of the normal-birth-weight (NBW) group (26.23 μg/m ) ( = 0.02). When the newborns were divided by sex, the PM concentration of the LBW group was 27.89 μg/m in male infants, which was significantly higher than that of the NBW group (26.26 μg/m ) ( = 0.01). In the prospective study, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine significantly increased in the high-concentration group (113.55 ng/mL, compared with 92.20 ng/mL in the low-concentration group); in the high-concentration group, the rates of preterm birth (PTB) and small size for gestational age significantly increased ( < 0.01, = 0.01). This study showed an association between PM , oxidative stress, and fetal growth, with the PTB group being more vulnerable.