Smaller Babies Are Born When Mothers Are Exposed To Air Pollution

A study with a warning report about the relationship between the health of pregnant women and newborns with air pollution creates an urgent need to lessen air pollution. A study report to be presented at the “European Respiratory Society International Congress” in Milan, Italy, states that women who are highly exposed to air pollution give birth to smaller babies.

The study report to be presented relies on the data from a study previously conducted by Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE). The same study was done on 4286 kids and their mothers. The mothers were from the following European countries.

• Estonia

• Iceland

• Denmark

• Sweden

• Norway

Researchers took an account of the “greenness” of the places from where the mothers came. They collected this information with the help of satellite imaging. They checked the urban parks, farmlands, and forests to assess the vegetation density in those areas.

Researchers also checked the presence of five major pollutants in the air of those areas. The elements they assessed were:

• Ozone

• Black carbon

• Nitrogen dioxide

• PM2.5

• PM10

The air pollution levels were according to the limit set by the European Union. After obtaining the information about air pollution, researchers examined the birthweights of the babies. They ensured to eliminate other factors like the age of the mother, smoking, or pre-existing medical conditions to come to a conclusion.

Finally, they came up with the report that a high level of air pollution affects a baby’s birth weight. Especially black carbon, nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5, and PM10 are significant culprits. Have a look at the table below to know how these elements impact the weight of a newborn.

Smaller babies with a low birth weight are likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma as they have weaker lungs.

So, scientists now plead more vehemently to check on the level of air pollution and make an effort to make the urban areas greener. This is the only way to shield infants from the potential hazards caused by air pollution.

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