Global, regional, and national burden of neonatal diseases attributable to particulate matter pollution from 1990 to 2021.

BACKGROUND

The impact of particulate matter pollution (PMP) on neonatal health has garnered growing public attention. However, the global burden of PMP-related neonatal diseases remains insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the current burden and temporal trends (1990-2021) of PMP-related neonatal diseases.

METHODS

We used data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) to estimate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of neonatal diseases attributed to PMP. Our analysis included DALY trends by age, gender, and sociodemographic index (SDI) from 1990 to 2021 at global, regional, and national levels. We employed health inequality analysis and frontier analysis to quantify the factors that contribute to the neonatal diseases burden attributed to PMP.

RESULTS

In 2021, the global age-standardized DALYs of neonatal diseases attributed to PMP, household air pollution (HAP), and ambient particulate matter pollution (APMP) were 723.06/100,000 (95% UI: 610.39, 845.18), 518.10/100,000 (95% UI: 410.06, 641.68), and 204.81/100,000 (95% UI: 121.31, 311.25), respectively. From 1990 to 2021, PMP- and HAP-related neonatal disease burdens declined significantly, whereas APMP-related DALYs increased in low-middle SDI regions. Age-specific DALYs showed a gradual downward trend, and male DALYs were higher than female DALYs in all age groups. DALYs of neonatal diseases attributed to PMP, HAP, and APMP were negatively correlated with SDI. Frontier analysis indicated that urgent action was required to alleviate the burden of neonatal diseases attributed to PMP in countries such as Mali, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.

CONCLUSION

The burden of neonatal disease attributed to PMP remains a major health problem worldwide, especially in low SDI regions. This suggests that future air pollution-induced neonatal disease responses should emphasize health equity. Low SDI regions should be prioritized when allocating resources to address climate change.