Air pollution affects the placenta

According to a study recently presented at the International Association of European Respiratory Association (ERS) in Paris, scientists have found the first evidence of the impact of air pollution on placenta of women.

That influence will lead to a global disaster of public health, especially for women living in polluted cities. Air pollution not only threatens the development of lungs in young children, but can also permanently damage the brain, directly affecting their future.

The toxic atmosphere definitely causes harm to the fetus while in the womb, but how can air pollution penetrate a woman's body?

A new study conducted in mothers living in London, UK showed that the appearance of soot particles in the placenta of women and most likely will enter the fetus.

British scientists found the appearance of soot particles in the placenta of women and most likely will enter the fetus.(Illustration).

Dr. Lisa Miyashita, of Queen Mary University of London, one of the team members said: "This is a worrying issue because of the great harm of polluted air that mothers inhale and photograph. to the fetus ".

A large study of more than 500,000 births in London, published in December last year, confirmed the toxic atmosphere is affecting millions of women and babies in polluted cities worldwide. gender, threatening to cause public health disaster.

Scientists are increasingly aware that air pollution leads to much more serious health problems than lung diseases. In August, a study showed that air pollution severely reduces intelligence, when toxic nanoparticles in the air have been found in human brains since 2016.

In the new study, 5 women who did not smoke and gave birth to healthy babies were invited to conduct a placental test. The researchers isolated macrophage cells, which are part of the body's immune system, to absorb harmful elements. Using optical microscopes, they found 72 dark particles in 3,500 cells and then used a powerful electron microscope to test the shape of some particles.

The results show that, although not all, there are particles that look very much like soot particles found in lung macrophages.

Dr. Miyashita said : 'While there are still subsequent analyzes to produce the final result, we have not been able to have an accurate conclusion, only knowing that we have found black dust particles in the placenta of these women '.

The impact of polluted air will lead to a global disaster of public health, especially for women living in polluted cities.(Illustration).

Some previous studies in pregnant animals also showed that the dust particles inhaled by them follow the blood flow to the placenta.

A member of the research team, Dr. Norrice Liu, of Queen Mary University of London, said the team is not sure whether the particles they found penetrated the fetus, but even when they do not enter the fetus they can also harm the fetus, because they have harmed the placenta.

According to Professor Mina Gaga, president of ERS and at Athens Breast Hospital in Greece, this new finding will raise awareness among the medical community and the public about the harmful effects of air pollution on pregnant women.

And CEO Unicef ​​Anthony Lake recently warned of the risk of air pollution for newborns: 'Not only are pollutants threatening lung development in young children, they can also be done. permanent damage to the brain, directly affecting their future '.