Air pollution may be making babies smaller

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-10-26 02:00

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US scientists have found a link between being exposed to pollution during early-to-mid pregnancy and low birth weight in babies. They say mums exposed to tiny airborne particles PM2.5 and PM10, and to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) - all considered to be air pollution - were significantly more likely to have lighter babies. The link was even stronger for women who reported higher levels of stress during pregnancy, and those living in neighbourhoods with high levels of environmental pollution. This kind of study cannot directly prove that air pollution caused the decreased birth weight of babies, but the researchers suggest it's probably sensible to protect pregnant women from air pollution as much as possible.