Air Pollution: The Adverse Effects Of Lower AQI On Pregnant Women And Children

Air is an existential resource which cannot be compromised upon, however, detrimental activities ranging from burning fossil fuels to rising vehicular emissions have only resulted in making air pollution one of the most life-threatening risks known to humankind.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates linked seven million premature deaths per year to air pollution.

What's the underlying concern with air pollution?

This one source of pollution has endless health scares to offer, making everyday life unbearably tedious. Air pollution is known to proliferate respiratory concerns, trigger asthma, elevate the risk of lung infections, meanwhile, contributing to heart disease and strokes over time. Children, and pregnant women are the ones particularly vulnerable to ailments linked with air pollution.

Identifying risks for pregnant women and children

Dr. Salil Bendre, Director, Pulmonology & Sleep Medicine, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, helps us point out the how detrimental air pollution is for children, and pregnant women.

“Research has shown that pollution leads to low-birth weight babies and increases the risk of childhood asthma and failure to thrive in children,” Dr Bendre said. 

"Air Pollution leads to low fertility rates amongst men and women," he said.

Highlighting the dangers of polluted air to women, Dr Bendre mentioned, "An alarming Harvard study revealed that women exposed to high particulate matter pollution during their third trimesters were twice as likely to deliver a child with autism—especially if they lived near a highway where particulate matter is highest."