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Aircraft noise and premature birth
Journal of Sound and Vibration (1978) 59(l), 133-l 35
AIRCRAFT
NOISE AND PREMATURE
S. REHM Institutfiir Hygiene und Arbeitsmedizin, Universitdtsklinikum
BIRTH
Essen, West Germany
AND
G. JANSEN Institut fiir Arbeits- und Sozialmedizin, Johannes-Gutenburg West Germany
Universitiit Mainz,
(Received 6 January 1978)
Certain physiological effects suggest that there may be a relationship between premature birth and noise exposure. Vasoconstriction in the peripheric blood vessel system is one effect. Others would be augmentation of the adrenocorticotrophic hormone and a higher vegetative excitability during pregnancy. Animal experiments have demonstrated negative effects but there is little literature available as yet on the specific relationship between exposure to aircraft noise and negative effects on pregnancies. A study of this relationship was undertaken in an area near the airport at Dusseldorf, Germany. While no significant negative effects could be demonstrated, a tendency toward an increased rate of premature births was observed. effects which indicate that a relationship may exist between premature birth and exposure to noise. Vasoconstriction in the peripheric blood vessel system is one very important effect of noise on the human organism [l]. As the placenta makes up a part of the peripheric blood vessel system, vasoconstrictions in the placenta will cause reduced circulation. Consequently, the fetus does not receive a sufficient supply of nutritive substances or oxygen [2]. Another effect may be an augmentation of the adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) which causes corticosteroid secretion from the humoral glands. This secretion plays a role in the mechanisms which induce birth itself [3-51. An additional negative effect of noise on pregnant women could be a higher vegetative excitability during pregnancy. This may lead to a lower degree of adaptability to noise and a weaker resistance [6, 71. Noise experiments with animals have demonstrated a higher rate of stillbirths, an increase of perinatal mortality, a decrease of height and weight of the newborn animals and a higher rate of deformities. It is thought that these effects may be caused by higher levels of catecholamines and corticosteroids during pregnancy which may be induced by exposure to noise [S-12]. Little literature is presently available on a connection between aircraft noise and negative effects on pregnancy. In the area near to Tokyo Airport a slight increase in premature births has been found [13] and in the vicinity of Heathrow Airport an upward trend of infant mortality was observed [14]. Prematurity has been variously measured in terms of duration of pregnancy and anatomical or physiological criteria of prematurity. For this study it seemed statistically most practical to use the definition given by the World Health Organization (WHO), which uses weight at birth as the criterion. Specifically, an infant weighing less than 2500 grams at birth is considered to be premature.
There are several physiological
133 0022-460X/78/0708-0133 $01.00/O
0 1978 Academic Press Inc. (London) Limited
134
S. REHMAND G. JANSEN
In studies on the relation between noise exposure and fetal effects other variables that may influence the pregnancy and the weight of the child at birth must also be considered. The most important of these are social class, marital status, parity and intervals between births, age of the mother, nutritive factors of the mother as well as her height and weight, employment during pregnancy and effects of smoking and alcohol. The project described here was a retrospective study done on the region near Diisseldorf airport. Based on the findings of Koppe et al. 1151on aircraft noise, three residential areas which were exposed to decreasing levels of aircraft noise and lay almost concentrically around the airport could be defined. The size of the sample from these areas was 1452 births. An evaluation was made of obstetric diaries covering a period of four and a half years for four different hospitals located near the airport. The diary for each mother was then co-ordinated by the address to the area in which she resided. The following data were also gathered for each mother; age of the mother, parity, marital status and social class (as indicated by the profession of the husband). In the residential area farthest from the airport, a prematurity rate of 5.9 % was found (from a total of 1053 births). The prematurity rate was 6.0% (from a total of 265 births). The prematurity rate in the area closest to the airport was 6.7 % (total of 143 births). While this increased prematurity rate-from 5.9 % to 6.7 %--cannot be seen as statistically significant, it can be evaluated as a tendency. One reason that the statistics were not strong enough to demonstrate a significant increase in premature births was most likely that there were fewer cases of pregnant women the closer the residential area lay to the airport. This probably indicates, moreover, a general difficulty in such noise studies. Because the rate of births has been steadily declining in western countries for many years, the number of women who are pregnant at the same time is likely to be small. Furthermore, the amount of low birthweight babies constitutes only approximately 6 % of total births. Finally, in terms ofthis study, the total population ofthe areas decreased as one approached the airport. It was concluded that further research should be done in prospective studies using as much information as is available on the most important variables. Information should be gathered on when individuals moved to the area under study, on the reasons for moving, on noise reducing equipment, type of employment during pregnancy, location of the working place, subjective assessment of acoustical conditions at home and work, social status, marital status, age, parity, birth intervals, height, weight and the use of cigarettes and alcohol. REFERENCES fiir Arbeitsmedizin und Arbeitsschutz, Beiheft 92. Zur nerviisen Belastung durch Llrm. 2. E. G. LOCH, F. GONO and W. KLOSTERK~TTER1971 in L&m und mechanische Schwingungen
1. G. JANSEN 1967 Zentralblatt
am Arbeitpiatz, 217-220. Untersuchungen iiber Liirmgrenzwerte fiir erwerbstltige Schwangere. Stuttgart: A. W. Gentner Verlag Schriftenreihe Arbeitsmed., Sozialmed., Arbeitshyg. 38. G. C. LIGGINS, P. C. KENNEDYand L. W. HOLM 1967 American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 98, 1080-1085. Pituitary electrocoagulation to initiate delivery. G. C. LIGGINS 1968 Journal of Endocrinology 42, 323-329. Premature parturition after infusion of carticotrophin or cortisol into foetal lambs. H. KAWAHARA 1958 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology 18, 325-327. Plasma levels of 17hydroxycorticosteroids in umbilical cord blood, with special reference to variations of the level between A. Umbilicalis and V. Umbilicalis. L. GOTTBERG1966 Zentralblatt fGr Arbeitsmedizin und Arbeitsschutz 16, 154. Frage und Antwort. H. REIN 1970 Kongress fir Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, Diisseldorf 1969, 281-284. Der
als Umgebungsinjlikse
3. 4. 5.
6. 7.
L&m als Problem des Mutterschutzes. Heidelberg: Karl F. Hang Verlag.
AIRCRAFT NOISEAND PREMATUREBIRTH
135
8. A. ARVAY1970 in Physiological Eficfs of Noise (B. L. Welch and A. S. Welch, editors), 91-115. Effects of noise during pregnancy upon foetal viability. New York: Plenum Press. 9. W. F. GEBER 1970 in Physiological Eficts of Noise (B. L. Welch and A. S. Welch, editors), 85-90. Cardiovascular and teratogenic effects of chronic intermittant noise stress. New York: Plenum Press. 10. W. F. GEBER 1973 Federal Proceedings 32, 2101-2104. Inhibition of fetal osteogenesis by maternal noise stress. 11. H. H. SMOOKLER,K. H. GOEBEL,M. I. SIFGEL and D. E. CLARKE1973 Federal Proceedings 32, 2105-2110. Hypertensive effects of prolonged auditory, visual and motion stimulation. 12. C. 0. WARD, M. A. BARLE’ITA andT. KAYE1970 JournalofPharmaceuticalScience59,1661-1662. Teratogenic effects of audiogenic stress in albino mice. 13. H. KODAMA1971 Presented at the XVII Znternational Congress of Applied Psychology, Liege, Belgium, July, 1971. The Medical Association of Akishima, Tokyo Metropolis, May, 1971; Volume 7: Psychological effects of aircraft noise upon inhabitants of an airport neighborhood. Sensitivity of babies to aircraft noise. 14. J. HANDLER1973 Umweftmedizin 1, 140. Fluglarm und pranatale Mortal&it. 15. E. KOPPE, K. MATSCHATand E. A. MILLER 1971 Kurven 0 = 67 dB und (z = 75 dB in der Umgebung des flughafens fur den Belastungsfall “Endkapazitat des parallelbahnsystems” (“PE”) Gutachten von E. Koppe, Miinchen, K. Matschat, Gottingen, E. A. Mtiller, Gottingen.
AIRCRAFT
NOISE AND PREMATURE
S. REHM Institutfiir Hygiene und Arbeitsmedizin, Universitdtsklinikum
BIRTH
Essen, West Germany
AND
G. JANSEN Institut fiir Arbeits- und Sozialmedizin, Johannes-Gutenburg West Germany
Universitiit Mainz,
(Received 6 January 1978)
Certain physiological effects suggest that there may be a relationship between premature birth and noise exposure. Vasoconstriction in the peripheric blood vessel system is one effect. Others would be augmentation of the adrenocorticotrophic hormone and a higher vegetative excitability during pregnancy. Animal experiments have demonstrated negative effects but there is little literature available as yet on the specific relationship between exposure to aircraft noise and negative effects on pregnancies. A study of this relationship was undertaken in an area near the airport at Dusseldorf, Germany. While no significant negative effects could be demonstrated, a tendency toward an increased rate of premature births was observed. effects which indicate that a relationship may exist between premature birth and exposure to noise. Vasoconstriction in the peripheric blood vessel system is one very important effect of noise on the human organism [l]. As the placenta makes up a part of the peripheric blood vessel system, vasoconstrictions in the placenta will cause reduced circulation. Consequently, the fetus does not receive a sufficient supply of nutritive substances or oxygen [2]. Another effect may be an augmentation of the adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) which causes corticosteroid secretion from the humoral glands. This secretion plays a role in the mechanisms which induce birth itself [3-51. An additional negative effect of noise on pregnant women could be a higher vegetative excitability during pregnancy. This may lead to a lower degree of adaptability to noise and a weaker resistance [6, 71. Noise experiments with animals have demonstrated a higher rate of stillbirths, an increase of perinatal mortality, a decrease of height and weight of the newborn animals and a higher rate of deformities. It is thought that these effects may be caused by higher levels of catecholamines and corticosteroids during pregnancy which may be induced by exposure to noise [S-12]. Little literature is presently available on a connection between aircraft noise and negative effects on pregnancy. In the area near to Tokyo Airport a slight increase in premature births has been found [13] and in the vicinity of Heathrow Airport an upward trend of infant mortality was observed [14]. Prematurity has been variously measured in terms of duration of pregnancy and anatomical or physiological criteria of prematurity. For this study it seemed statistically most practical to use the definition given by the World Health Organization (WHO), which uses weight at birth as the criterion. Specifically, an infant weighing less than 2500 grams at birth is considered to be premature.
There are several physiological
133 0022-460X/78/0708-0133 $01.00/O
0 1978 Academic Press Inc. (London) Limited
134
S. REHMAND G. JANSEN
In studies on the relation between noise exposure and fetal effects other variables that may influence the pregnancy and the weight of the child at birth must also be considered. The most important of these are social class, marital status, parity and intervals between births, age of the mother, nutritive factors of the mother as well as her height and weight, employment during pregnancy and effects of smoking and alcohol. The project described here was a retrospective study done on the region near Diisseldorf airport. Based on the findings of Koppe et al. 1151on aircraft noise, three residential areas which were exposed to decreasing levels of aircraft noise and lay almost concentrically around the airport could be defined. The size of the sample from these areas was 1452 births. An evaluation was made of obstetric diaries covering a period of four and a half years for four different hospitals located near the airport. The diary for each mother was then co-ordinated by the address to the area in which she resided. The following data were also gathered for each mother; age of the mother, parity, marital status and social class (as indicated by the profession of the husband). In the residential area farthest from the airport, a prematurity rate of 5.9 % was found (from a total of 1053 births). The prematurity rate was 6.0% (from a total of 265 births). The prematurity rate in the area closest to the airport was 6.7 % (total of 143 births). While this increased prematurity rate-from 5.9 % to 6.7 %--cannot be seen as statistically significant, it can be evaluated as a tendency. One reason that the statistics were not strong enough to demonstrate a significant increase in premature births was most likely that there were fewer cases of pregnant women the closer the residential area lay to the airport. This probably indicates, moreover, a general difficulty in such noise studies. Because the rate of births has been steadily declining in western countries for many years, the number of women who are pregnant at the same time is likely to be small. Furthermore, the amount of low birthweight babies constitutes only approximately 6 % of total births. Finally, in terms ofthis study, the total population ofthe areas decreased as one approached the airport. It was concluded that further research should be done in prospective studies using as much information as is available on the most important variables. Information should be gathered on when individuals moved to the area under study, on the reasons for moving, on noise reducing equipment, type of employment during pregnancy, location of the working place, subjective assessment of acoustical conditions at home and work, social status, marital status, age, parity, birth intervals, height, weight and the use of cigarettes and alcohol. REFERENCES fiir Arbeitsmedizin und Arbeitsschutz, Beiheft 92. Zur nerviisen Belastung durch Llrm. 2. E. G. LOCH, F. GONO and W. KLOSTERK~TTER1971 in L&m und mechanische Schwingungen
1. G. JANSEN 1967 Zentralblatt
am Arbeitpiatz, 217-220. Untersuchungen iiber Liirmgrenzwerte fiir erwerbstltige Schwangere. Stuttgart: A. W. Gentner Verlag Schriftenreihe Arbeitsmed., Sozialmed., Arbeitshyg. 38. G. C. LIGGINS, P. C. KENNEDYand L. W. HOLM 1967 American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 98, 1080-1085. Pituitary electrocoagulation to initiate delivery. G. C. LIGGINS 1968 Journal of Endocrinology 42, 323-329. Premature parturition after infusion of carticotrophin or cortisol into foetal lambs. H. KAWAHARA 1958 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology 18, 325-327. Plasma levels of 17hydroxycorticosteroids in umbilical cord blood, with special reference to variations of the level between A. Umbilicalis and V. Umbilicalis. L. GOTTBERG1966 Zentralblatt fGr Arbeitsmedizin und Arbeitsschutz 16, 154. Frage und Antwort. H. REIN 1970 Kongress fir Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, Diisseldorf 1969, 281-284. Der
als Umgebungsinjlikse
3. 4. 5.
6. 7.
L&m als Problem des Mutterschutzes. Heidelberg: Karl F. Hang Verlag.
AIRCRAFT NOISEAND PREMATUREBIRTH
135
8. A. ARVAY1970 in Physiological Eficfs of Noise (B. L. Welch and A. S. Welch, editors), 91-115. Effects of noise during pregnancy upon foetal viability. New York: Plenum Press. 9. W. F. GEBER 1970 in Physiological Eficts of Noise (B. L. Welch and A. S. Welch, editors), 85-90. Cardiovascular and teratogenic effects of chronic intermittant noise stress. New York: Plenum Press. 10. W. F. GEBER 1973 Federal Proceedings 32, 2101-2104. Inhibition of fetal osteogenesis by maternal noise stress. 11. H. H. SMOOKLER,K. H. GOEBEL,M. I. SIFGEL and D. E. CLARKE1973 Federal Proceedings 32, 2105-2110. Hypertensive effects of prolonged auditory, visual and motion stimulation. 12. C. 0. WARD, M. A. BARLE’ITA andT. KAYE1970 JournalofPharmaceuticalScience59,1661-1662. Teratogenic effects of audiogenic stress in albino mice. 13. H. KODAMA1971 Presented at the XVII Znternational Congress of Applied Psychology, Liege, Belgium, July, 1971. The Medical Association of Akishima, Tokyo Metropolis, May, 1971; Volume 7: Psychological effects of aircraft noise upon inhabitants of an airport neighborhood. Sensitivity of babies to aircraft noise. 14. J. HANDLER1973 Umweftmedizin 1, 140. Fluglarm und pranatale Mortal&it. 15. E. KOPPE, K. MATSCHATand E. A. MILLER 1971 Kurven 0 = 67 dB und (z = 75 dB in der Umgebung des flughafens fur den Belastungsfall “Endkapazitat des parallelbahnsystems” (“PE”) Gutachten von E. Koppe, Miinchen, K. Matschat, Gottingen, E. A. Mtiller, Gottingen.