A Population-Based Case–Control Study of Extreme Summer Temperature and Birth Defects

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Environ Health Perspect
• Personal Author:
  Van Zutphen, Alissa R. ; Lin, Shao ; Fletcher, Barbara A. ; Hwang, Syni-An
• Description:
  Although hyperthermia is a recognized animal teratogen and maternal fever has been associated with birth defects in humans, data on the relationship between high environmental temperatures and birth defects are limited.|To determine whether pregnancies are potentially vulnerable to the weather extremes anticipated with climate change, we evaluated the relationship between extreme summer temperature and the occurrence of birth defects.|We performed a population-based case-control study by linking the New York State Congenital Malformations Registry to birth certificates for the years 1992-2006. We selected nonmalformed infants from a 10% random sample of live births as controls. We assigned meteorologic data based on maternal residence at birth, summarized universal apparent temperature (UAT; degrees Fahrenheit) across the critical period of embryogenesis, and estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with multivariable logistic regression, controlling for confounders available on the birth certificate.|Among 6,422 cases and 59,328 controls that shared at least 1 week of the critical period in summer, a 5-degree increase in mean daily minimum UAT was significantly associated with congenital cataracts (aOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.99). Congenital cataracts were significantly associated with all ambient temperature indicators as well: heat wave, number of heat waves, and number of days above the 90th percentile. Inconsistent associations with a subset of temperature indicators were observed for renal agenesis/hypoplasia (positive) and anophthalmia/microphthalmia and gastroschisis (negative).|We found positive and consistent associations between multiple heat indicators during the relevant developmental window and congenital cataracts which should be confirmed with other data sources.
• Subjects:
  Adult Case-Control Studies Congenital Abnormalities Female Hot Temperature Humans Infant Infant, Newborn Logistic Models Male Risk Factors Seasons Young Adult

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• Source:
  Environ Health Perspect. 2012; 120(10):1443-1449.
• Pubmed ID:
  23031822
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC3491926
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  1U38EH000184-05/EH/NCEH CDC HHS/United States ; 5U01EH000396-02/EH/NCEH CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  New York
• Volume:
  120
• Issue:
  10
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:f35c4b40c0965cda07d6db3d46d1f5a386ff77030ae1e22427546d54daa539b6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/22682/cdc_22682_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 758.95 KB ]