Citation

Hajat S, Armstrong B, Wilkinson P, Busby A, Dolk H. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2007; 61(8): 719-722.

Affiliation

Public & Environmental Health Research Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK. shakoor.hajat@lshtm.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/jech.2006.053942

PMID

17630372

PMCID

PMC2653013

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is growing concern that moderate levels of outdoor air pollution may be associated with infant mortality, representing substantial loss of life-years. To date, there has been no investigation of the effects of outdoor pollution on infant mortality in the UK. METHODS: Daily time-series data of air pollution and all infant deaths between 1990 and 2000 in 10 major cities of England: Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield, were analysed. City-specific estimates were pooled across cities in a fixed-effects meta-regression to provide a mean estimate. RESULTS: Few associations were observed between infant deaths and most pollutants studied. The exception was sulphur dioxide (SO2), of which a 10 mug/m(3) increase was associated with a RR of 1.02 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.04) in all infant deaths. The effect was present in both neonatal and postneonatal deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Continuing reductions in SO2 levels in the UK may yield additional health benefits for infants.

Language: en