Prenatal PM(2.5) Exposure in Relation to Maternal and Newborn Telomere Length at Delivery

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM(2.5)) is a ubiquitous air pollutant that is increasingly threatening the health of adults and children worldwide. One health impact of elevated PM(2.5) exposure is alterations in telomere length (TL)—protective caps on chromosome ends that shorten with each cell division. Few analyses involve prenatal PM(2.5) exposure, and paired maternal and cord TL measurements. Here, we analyzed the association between average and trimester-specific prenatal PM(2.5) exposure, and maternal and newborn relative leukocyte TL measured at birth among 193 mothers and their newborns enrolled in a New-York-City-based birth cohort. Results indicated an overall negative relationship between prenatal PM(2.5) and maternal TL at delivery, with a significant association observed in the second trimester (β = −0.039, 95% CI: −0.074, −0.003). PM(2.5) exposure in trimester two was also inversely related to cord TL; however, this result did not reach statistical significance (β = −0.037, 95% CI: −0.114, 0.039), and no clear pattern emerged between PM(2.5) and cord TL across the different exposure periods. Our analysis contributes to a limited body of research on ambient air pollution and human telomeres, and emphasizes the need for continued investigation into how PM(2.5) exposure during pregnancy influences maternal and newborn health.