How air pollution could harm your unborn baby

*Exposure to high levels of toxins increases risk of preterm birth by 19% <em

EXPOSURE to high levels of air pollution can increase the risk of premature birth by 19 per cent, scientists have revealed.

The risk is highest when exposure to small particle air pollution occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy, according to a new study.

The study was published in the journal Environmental Health.

Preterm birth occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy – and is the leading cause of infant death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mothers exposed to high levels of airborne particulate pollution have the highest preterm birth rates, concluded scientists from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati, United States.

Dr. Emily DeFranco, physician-researcher and associate professor, said: “Although the risk increase is modest, the potential impact is robust, as all pregnant women are potentially at risk.

“We estimate that decreasing the amount of particulate matter in the air below the [Environmental Protection Agency’s] standard threshold could decrease preterm birth in women exposed to small levels by about 17 per cent.”

That “corresponds to a 2.22 per cent decrease in the preterm birth rate in the population as a whole,” she added.

A previous study showed that exposure to high levels of particulate matter in the third trimester of pregnancy had a 42 per cent increased risk of stillbirth.

In urban areas, diesel exhaust particles comprise a substantial portion of particulate matter.

The size of the particles is associated to their potential for health risks.

Smaller particles are the most likely to be inhaled into the lungs – which leads to serious health problems, such as heart and pulmonary disease.

The high levels of air pollution and traffic fumes associated with heavily populated areas increases a woman’s risk of infertility, according to a new study from Boston University.

Furthermore, city dwellers are far more likely to have fertility problems than those who live in the country – because country air is cleaner.

Dr. Sajal Gupta of Cleveland Clinic, who wasn’t involved in the study, told Reuters: “Couples suffering from infertility need to exercise caution especially if they are residing in areas with high ambient particulate matter.

“Relocating to areas with low contamination of particulate matter is an alternative to prevent adverse impact on fertility.”
However, researchers cautioned, the increased risk was only slight.