(CNN) Pregnant women who have been exposed to high levels of pollution face an increased risk of "silent miscarriage" in the first trimester, according to a new study. A "silent miscarriage" happens when a fetus hasn't formed or has died, but the placenta and embryonic tissue remain.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 250,000 pregnant women in Beijing between 2009 and 2017. The study published Monday in the journal Nature Sustainability.

Earlier research has shown a connection between pollution and health problems for pregnant women, such as hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Pollution is also linked to low birth weight, but there has been little research to connect pollution to miscarriage.

This study found that the women who lived in neighborhoods in Beijing with higher levels of concentrated pollution including particulate matter pollution, sulfur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide saw a greater risk of miscarriage. Particulate matter pollution seemed to put the women at the greatest risk among miscarriages linked to pollution. The authors thought that was because these tiny particles can cross the maternal-fetal blood barrier and disrupt fetal growth and development.

This study seems to agree with earlier work. A study in that United States published in February found that women in Utah who were exposed even short-term to pollution faced an increase risk of miscarriage.