Miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death in an oil-polluted region of the Niger Delta, Nigeria: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between oil pollution and miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was undertaken of pregnant women (aged 18-45 years) who attended selected health facilities in regions with high and low exposure to oil pollution from May 14, 2018, to September 27, 2018. A multistage sampling technique was used to randomly select a representative of women with high and low exposure to oil pollution. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to adjust for confounding factors of miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death.

RESULTS

In total, 1564 pregnant women were included in the study. Women with high exposure to oil pollution were more likely to experience stillbirth (odds ratio [OR] 1.806; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.177-2.770) and infant death (OR 2.162; 95% CI 1.409-3.317). However, after adjusting for potential confounders, only infant death was associated with high exposure (adjusted OR 1.843; 95% CI 1.146-2.962). No association was found between miscarriage and high exposure to oil pollution.

CONCLUSION

Women with high exposure to oil pollution are at higher risk of infant death.