Lower Smog Levels Tied to Lower Birth Weights | WPN World People News

Pregnant women exposed to even low levels of air pollution are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed data from 14 studies that were conducted in 12 European countries and included a total of more than 74,000 women who gave birth between February 1994 and June 2011.

All types of air pollution, especially so-called fine particulate matter, was linked to an increased risk of having a low-birth-weight baby and was associated with a smaller average head circumference at birth.

Fine particulate air pollution comes from sources such as traffic fumes and industrial emissions. For every increase of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) in exposure to fine particulate matter during pregnancy, the risk of having a low-birth-weight baby increased by 18 percent, the study found.

The researchers said this increased risk is present at levels below the existing European Union annual air quality limit of 25 mcg/m3. The average levels of exposure to fine particulate matter during pregnancy among the women in the study ranged from less than 10 mcg/m3 to nearly 30 mcg/m3.

If levels of exposure to fine particulate matter were reduced to the World Health Organization's annual average air quality guideline value of 10 mcg/m3, an estimated 22 percent of cases of low birth weight among full-term babies could be prevented.

The findings suggest that a substantial proportion of cases of low birth weight at term could be prevented in Europe if urban air pollution -- particularly fine particulate matter -- was reduced.

Expert noted: "Overall, maternal exposure to traffic-derived particulate matter probably increases vulnerability of their offspring to a wide range of respiratory disorders in both infancy and later life."

If more people were aware of this, it could increase the pressure on policy makers to reduce levels of particulate matter air pollution in cities.

Source: U.S. HealthDay News