Air pollution increases the risk of low birth weight babies

(A large European study has found that pregnant women who have been exposed to 'air pollution levels' still have a high risk of producing low birth weight babies.

- A study of widespread traffic pollution in Europe shows that traffic pollution has increased the rate of underweight babies by 20%.

- Experts have called for plans to reduce micro-dust concentrations.

- The researchers say this study is a warning to policy makers.

- The weight of younger babies can lead to health problems when they grow up.

Pregnant women who have been exposed to 'safe' levels of pollution are still at increased risk of developing low birth weight babies, researchers warn.

Nitrous oxides and fine particles arising from traffic activity have increased the risk of low birth weight by about 20%, a study found.

Moreover, impacts still occur at concentrations below the level permitted by EU air quality regulators.

In addition, scientists have found that the average size of children's heads has decreased, despite statistics on factors such as smoking, age, weight and education and research. More than 74,000 women from 12 European countries have found that.

Research conducted by a group of researchers across Europe and published in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, found an increase in exposure to 5 μg / m3 pollutants increased the risk of birth by 18%. smaller size.

Infants in Europe weighing less than 5lb 8oz may experience later health problems in their lives.

However, simply reducing the amount of dust PM 2.5 to 10μg / m ³ can prevent more than a fifth of low birth weight babies, the researchers said.

The study's lead author, Dr. Marie Pedersen from the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, ​​Spain, said: 'Our findings show that a significant proportion of low birth weight babies have can be prevented in Europe if city air pollution, especially those with small molecular sizes, are minimized '.

Lower birth weight can lead to health problems right after the child is born and during the child's development.

Micro-sized particles often emitted from diesel-powered engines have been shown to pose a risk to the lungs and cause adverse changes in blood vessels and blood clots.

Dr. Pedersen said: 'The common exposure of pregnant women around the world to polluted air around the city, at concentrations equal to or even higher than the concentration in our study. provide a clear warning to policy makers, to change the quality of the atmosphere we all share. "

Photo: Telegraph

Previous exposure of pregnant women to air-borne air pollutants is related to pre eclampsia, and the child's asthma and autism.

Professor John Wright of Bradford Institute for Health Research said: 'Unlike other risk factors, such as diet and smoking, air pollution is an exposure. We cannot minimize through individual activities. Our research provides a warning to policy makers'.

Dr Patrick O'Brien, spokesperson for The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: 'Exposure to some degree of air pollution is inevitable in everyday life, and the risk remains. quite low. Other factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure and excessive alcohol use, may contribute to an increased risk of birth of low birth weight babies. '

Dr. Jenny Myers, of the NI Clinician Scientist / Clinical Senior Lecturer NIHR research center, Maternal & Fetal Health Research Center, University of Manchester, said: ' Scale of air pollution impact on infant weight is smaller than the effects associated with smoking among pregnant women, so women's smoking behavior has the greatest impact on the weight of newborn babies . However, for the entire population, air pollution has a greater effect because women are exposed to more polluted air than with tobacco smoke . "

The mechanism of pollutants that inhibit growth is still unclear, but it may be because environmental toxins may contain toxic effects on the placenta's function and development.