Assessing associations between residential proximity to greenspace and birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Kari A. Weber; Wei Yang; Suzan L. Carmichael; R. Thomas Collins; Thomas J. Luben; Tania A. Desrosiers; Tabassum Z. Insaf; Mimi T. Le; Shannon Pruitt Evans; Paul A. Romitti; Mahsa M. Yazdy; Wendy N. Nembhard; Gary M. Shaw; National Birth Defects Prevention Study

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.114760

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Assessing associations between residential proximity to greenspace and birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Assessing associations between residential proximity to greenspace and birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Kari A. Weber, Wei Yang, Suzan L. Carmichael, R. Thomas Collins, Thomas J. Luben, Tania A. Desrosiers, Tabassum Z. Insaf, Mimi T. Le, Shannon Pruitt Evans, Paul A. Romitti, …

Environmental research, Vol.216, pp.114760-114760

01/01/2023

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114760

PMCID: PMC10353702

PMID: 36356662

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https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10353702/pdf/nihms-1916829.pdfView

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Abstract

Residential proximity to greenspace is associated with various health outcomes. We estimated associations between maternal residential proximity to greenspace (based on an index of vegetation) and selected structural birth defects, including effect modification by neighborhood-level factors. Data were from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (1997–2011) and included 19,065 infants with at least one eligible birth defect (cases) and 8925 without birth defects (controls) from eight Centers throughout the United States. Maternal participants reported their addresses throughout pregnancy. Each address was systematically geocoded and residences around conception were linked to greenspace, US Census, and US Department of Agriculture data. Greenspace was estimated using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); average maximum NDVI was estimated within 100 m and 500 m concentric buffers surrounding geocoded addresses to estimate residential NDVI. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals comparing those in the highest and lowest quartiles of residential NDVI and stratifying by rural/urban residence and neighborhood median income. After multivariable adjustment, for the 500 m buffer, inverse associations were observed for tetralogy of Fallot, secundum atrial septal defects, anencephaly, anotia/microtia, cleft lip ± cleft palate, transverse limb deficiency, and omphalocele, (aORs: 0.54–0.86). Results were similar for 100 m buffer analyses and similar patterns were observed for other defects, though results were not significant. Significant heterogeneity was observed after stratification by rural/urban for hypoplastic left heart, coarctation of the aorta, and cleft palate, with inverse associations only among participants residing in rural areas. Stratification by median income showed heterogeneity for atrioventricular and secundum atrial septal defects, anencephaly, and anorectal atresia, with inverse associations only among participants residing in a high-income neighborhood (aORs: 0.45–0.81). Our results suggest that perinatal residential proximity to more greenspace may contribute to a reduced risk of certain birth defects, especially among those living in rural or high-income neighborhoods. •We estimated associations between greenspace and select birth defects.•We observed inverse associations between more greenspace and various defects.•Associations were observed across multiple organ systems.•Heterogeneity was observed for rural vs. urban and high vs. low income neighborhoods.•Associations were generally stronger among those in rural or high-income areas.

Pregnancy

Birth defects

Greenspace

NDVI

Neighborhood

Details

Title: Subtitle: Assessing associations between residential proximity to greenspace and birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Creators: Kari A. Weber - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Wei Yang - Stanford University School of Medicine
Suzan L. Carmichael - Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
R. Thomas Collins - Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
Thomas J. Luben - Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, NC, USA
Tania A. Desrosiers - Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Tabassum Z. Insaf - Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
Mimi T. Le - Birth Defects Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, TX, USA
Shannon Pruitt Evans - Eagle Global Scientific LLC, San Antonio, TX, USA
Paul A. Romitti - Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Mahsa M. Yazdy - Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Wendy N. Nembhard
Gary M. Shaw - Stanford University School of Medicine
National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Environmental research, Vol.216, pp.114760-114760
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114760
PMID: 36356662
PMCID: PMC10353702
NLM abbreviation: Environ Res
ISSN: 0013-9351
eISSN: 1096-0953
Publisher: Elsevier Inc
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000030, name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Language: English
Date published: 01/01/2023
Academic Unit: Epidemiology; Biostatistics
Record Identifier: 9984317459102771

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