Impact of Particulate Matter on Mothers and Babies in Antwerp (IPANEMA) (IPANEMA)

Blood collections (maternal and umbilical cord) Venous blood is drawn around 24 weeks of gestational age.

Table 1 Tests on maternal blood sample:Routine blood sampling (UZA) Urea, Creatinin, CRP, LDH, AST, ALT, Uric acid, APTT, PT, Fibrinogen, D-dimers, Glucose, Erythrocytes/hematocrit, Hemoglobin, Thrombocytes, Leukocytes, Ferritin, Toxoplasmosis (IgG & IgM), CMV (IgG & IgM), Herpes simplex IgG, Varicella zoster IgG, Rubella IgG, Parvovirus (IgG & IgM), Syphilis (RPR & TPHAM), Indirect Coombs AML sFlt-1, PlGF, Cystatin C VITO m(i)RNA expression, telomere length, DNA methylation

Umbilical cord blood is taken at time of birth. Table 2 Tests on umbilical blood sample VITO m(i)RNA expression, telomere length, DNA methylation

Urine collections Urine samples are taken by the pregnant women themselves, after a minimum of 8 hours fasting (morning urine). Samples are handed to the midwife at the antenatal visit, and placed at -20°C freezer within 12 hours of collection. Analysis will be performed at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO).

Two urine samples are collected: at 20 weeks and at 30 weeks gestational age. 8 oxo deoxyguanosine will be determined in the samples.

Hair collections Hair samples are drawn by the midwife around 24 weeks of gestational age and three days after delivery. Long periods of stress are associated with increased hair cortisol concentrations (Stalder & Kirschbaum, 2012). Confounding variables are low maternal education, season of delivery, smoking during pregnancy and obesity (Braig, et al., 2015).Titanium scissors are cleaned with denaturated ethanol and the midwife wears disposable gloves in order to limit contamination. A lock of hair with a thickness of a match (2 mm) and a length of 4 cm will be taken and put in an envelope. Analysis will be performed at the University of Southern Denmark.

Collection of particulate matter on bedroom window Participants will be asked to clean their bedroom window with clear water on the in- and outside around 24 weeks of gestation. A poster (A4 format) will then be attached to the window to create a standardized area for the measurement of magnetic particles. After minimal 4 weeks, the area in the poster is cleaned with a sterile pre-injection swab, on both sides of the window. Swabs are transported in a plastic bag and the ferro(i)magnetic particulate matter fraction will be quantified by Saturated Isothermal Remanent Magnetization.

Questionnaires

There are four different questionnaires:

Questionnaire on general habits, socio-economic factors, lifestyle and eating habits A self-designed questionnaire is used to extensively collect information on ethnic origin and and education level, on employment, income and work environment, on family history of diseases and chronic disorders, on eating habits, on previous pregnancies and other habits (smoking, alcohol consumption).

Questionnaire on lifestyle during previous 3 days A self-designed questionnaire is used to extensively collect information on contact with possible toxic factors and on eating pattern of the previous 3 days.

Questionnaire on residential facts A self-designed questionnaire is used to collect information about the exact location of the bedroom window and other possible factors influencing concentrations of particulate matter.

Questionnaire on stress factors and birth facts A self-designed questionnaire is used to extensively collect information on stress levels during pregnancy, on birth facts and on medication during pregnancy.

Questionnaires will be taken at different visits:< 12 weeks 20 weeks 30 weeks birth Questionnaire on general habits, socio-economic factors, lifestyle and eating habits Recruitment Questionnaire on lifestyle during previous 3 days Urine sample 1 Urine sample 2 Questionnaire on residential facts 4-8 weeks prior to visit Questionnaire on stress factors and birth facts 3 days after birth