Household Use of Cooking Biomass Fuels and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Rural Bangladeshi Children

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Studies have examined the association between the use of solid fuel for cooking and birth outcomes, however, data on the potential effect of cooking biomass fuel according to fuel type and cooking time is limited. METHODS: In this birth cohort study, pregnant women who were 18 years or older with an ultrasound confirmed singleton pregnancy of ≤16 weeks gestation were recruited from two Bangladesh clinics between January 2008 and June 2011. The newborn size metrics were measured at the time of delivery. Exposure to cooking biomass fuels during pregnancy was assessed by an administered questionnaire. We assessed associations between household use of cooking biomass fuels and birth size and adverse birth outcomes including low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). RESULTS:A total of 1,137 participants were using biomass fuels, crop residues (30.3%) and fuelwood (69.7%), for cooking, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, the use of crop residues for cooking was associated with a 0.13 SD decrease in birth length (95% CI: 0.25, - 0.01), a 0.14 SD decrease in head circumference (95% CI: -0.26, -0.01), and increased risk for LBW (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.15) compared with the use of fuelwood. We also found a negative association between time spent cooking and a decrease in head circumference (0.1 SD, 95% CI: -0.18, -0.02). CONCLUSIONS:The use of crop biomass for cooking was associated with a reduced birth size and increased risk for LBW in Bangladeshi children. Future studies are warranted to confirm our findings. KEYWORDS: cooking biomass, birth outcomes, prenatal exposure, environmental epidemiology, household air pollution, Bangladesh