Polluted Air Increases Risk of Premature Birth

A new study published in the journal Environmental Health has suggested that breathing polluted air could be harmful for pregnant women and the babies since it increases the risk of premature birth by more than 30 percent. The study was conducted by researchers at University of California who analyzed more than 100,000 births within a five-mile radius of the air quality monitoring stations in Los Angeles County between June 2004 and April 2006.

The researchers found that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are emitted by traffic, increased the risk of premature birth by 30 percent while ammonium nitrate fine particles increased the risk by 21 percent and the chemicals produced by diesel fumes increased the risk by 10 percent.

“To reduce the effects of these pollutants on public health, it is important that accurate modelling of local and regional spatial and temporal air pollution be incorporated into pollution policies”, lead researcher Dr Beate Ritz said.

Source-Medindia