Environnement, Risques & Santé
MENUEffects of meteorological conditions on pregnancy outcome: Literature review Volume 10, issue 2, Mars-Avril 2011
- Key words: fetal growth retardation, meteorology, pregnancy, premature birth
- DOI : 10.1684/ers.2011.0432
- Page(s) : 128-41
- Published in: 2011
The aim of this paper is to summarize the main studies of the influence of meteorological conditions on pregnancy outcome. The selection of articles made from the Medline ® database for 1980-2010 focused on conception, preterm birth, growth restriction, and preeclampsia. We reviewed 134 articles. In most, birth weight and preterm birth showed a seasonal rhythm, explained in part by temperature variations and sometimes by atmospheric pressure as well. Most studies indicated seasonality in births, rates of preterm birth, birth weight and preeclampsia. These variations are heterogeneous in amplitude and periodicity from country to country. Three mechanisms are discussed: latitude and sunlight, climate and temperature, and the food supply. But each study emphasizes a different mechanism. The close entanglement of environmental conditions, cultural background, and socio-economic factors may explain some of the differences in study findings. The methods used might also play a role: definitions of pregnancy outcomes, methods for measuring environmental confounding factors, experimental design, and statistical models. The diversity of approaches makes any summary difficult but it could result from improved methods might facilitate it. A better understanding of the influence of environmental factors could, through more effective prevention, help to reduce fetal developmental problems, which may have long-term consequences.