Wildfire smoke effects on newborn and infant health
Wildfires and Infant Health
This project looks at whether smoke from wildfires harms babies before birth and during their first year of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11258964 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are pregnant or have an infant, this project links detailed wildfire-smoke maps made from satellites, ground monitors, and computer models to birth, hospital, and death records from 2003–2019 across the United States. Researchers will use nearly complete natality records plus hospital discharge files from 15 states to measure prenatal and first-year smoke exposure for each baby. They will compare exposures to outcomes like birthweight, gestational age, hospital visits, and infant death while accounting for stress and community disruption. The team will also examine how risks vary by place and sociodemographic groups to identify those most affected.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This work is most relevant to pregnant people and infants (birth to one year), especially those living in or downwind of wildfire-affected areas in the U.S. during 2003–2019.
Not a fit: People who were not pregnant or whose infants were born outside the U.S. or outside the 2003–2019 time window would not directly benefit from this specific analysis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide public health warnings, prenatal care advice, and policies to protect pregnant people and infants from wildfire smoke.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows air pollution can harm infant outcomes, but using high-resolution, wildfire-specific exposure maps linked to near-census U.S. birth and hospital records at this scale is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boudreaux, Michel H — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Boudreaux, Michel H
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.