Particulate matter exposure and preterm birth: Estimates of U.S. attributable burden and economic costs
Preterm birth (PTB) rates (11.4% in 2013) in the United States (US) remain high and are a substantial cause of morbidity. Studies of prenatal exposure have associated particulate matter <2.5microns in diameter (PM2.5) and other ambient air pollutants with adverse birth outcomes, yet, to our knowledge, burden and costs of PM 2.5-attributable PTB have not been estimated in the US. The objective of the study was to estimate burden of PTB in the US and economic costs attributable to PM2.5 exposure in 2010.