Traffic pollution could cause smaller babies
October 7th, 2011 - 12:15 pm ICT by IANSSydney, Oct 7 (IANS) Traffic emissions may be bad for your lungs and overall health, but now a study says they could be instrumental in the birth of slightly smaller babies.
“This is the first time we have seen a specific link between normal suburban traffic pollution and its effect on the foetal growth,” said Gavin Pereira, assistant professor at the University of Western Australia, who led the study.
His team monitored traffic emission levels and compared it with the birth records of over 1,000 mothers between 2000 and 2006, the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health reports.
The results show that a newborn who would have ideally attained a birth weight of 3.5 kg could be 58 grams lighter. The results reflect about half of the effect observed for maternal smoking during pregnancy among this group, according to a Western Australia statement.
Pereira, whose researches traffic, air pollution and childhood health, said the results were surprising because these effects were observed when air quality guidelines met national standards.
“International studies have found some associations but this is the first time we have seen a specific link between normal suburban traffic pollution and its effect on the foetal growth.”
He said while the results should not cause alarm, the warning signs should not be ignored.
- Pregnant women's exposure to pollutants harms kids - Mar 22, 2012
- Traffic pollution 'makes childhood asthma worse' - Oct 31, 2010
- Pregnant women living near highways likelier to give birth prematurely - Apr 04, 2011
- Prenatal exposure to pollutants linked to behavioural problems in children - Apr 13, 2011
- Pollution ups odds of premature birth by 30 percent - Oct 07, 2011
- Living in a city makes you fat, infertile, depressed - Nov 22, 2011
- Prenatal exposure to pollution harmful for kids - May 21, 2012
- Mums abused in childhood more likely to have low-birth weight babies - Mar 30, 2011
- Ultrafine pollution particles may heighten asthmatic allergic inflammation risk - Jul 02, 2010
- Traffic pollution can slow fetal growth - Apr 09, 2009
- Vitamin D deficiency alters lung structure and function - Jan 29, 2011
- Living near freeway may be linked to autism - Dec 18, 2010
- Scientists find links between city walkability, air pollution exposure - Nov 03, 2009
- High pollution levels ups heart attack chances - Sep 21, 2011
- High testosterone retards language skills in boys - Jan 30, 2012
Tags: air pollution, air quality guidelines, assistant professor, australian and new zealand journal of public health, babies, birth records, birth weight, childhood health, emission levels, foetal growth, journal of public health, lungs, oct 7, pereira, researches, smoking during pregnancy, traffic emissions, traffic pollution, university of western australia, warning signs