Opportunities and challenges for population-based studies investigating the effects of air pollution on pregnancy loss

Opportunities and challenges for population-based studies investigating the effects of air pollution on pregnancy loss
Pregnancy loss occurs to approximately 28% of all pregnancies in prospective cohorts of couples attempting pregnancy (1). There is also evidence that the rate of self-reported pregnancy loss has been increasing in the United States (2). The exact cause of pregnancy loss is unknown, making it difficult to design effective interventions, and many losses are unobserved by couples or the medical care system, making ascertainment challenging outside of select prospective studies. Nevertheless, there is evidence that in addition to intrinsic factors like genetics, the risk of pregnancy loss can also be driven by extrinsic factors that are potentially amendable to intervention.
Source: fertstert.org