From Our 2012 Archives Breathing Smog While Pregnant May Worsen
Asthma in Offspring Latest Asthma News SUNDAY, May 20 (HealthDay
News) -- Exposure to air pollution while in the womb might harm
the lung-function development of children with asthma, a new
study finds. Researchers conducted repeated evaluations of 162
asthmatic children between the ages of 6 and 15 in Fresno,
Calif., and used U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data to
determine the children's mothers' exposure to air pollution
during pregnancy. The study showed that exposure to airborne
particles and the pollutant nitrogen dioxide during the first
and second trimesters was associated with poorer lung function
growth in both boys and girls with asthma. The study was
scheduled for presentation Sunday at an American Thoracic
Society conference, in San Francisco. The findings add to
existing evidence that a mother's exposure to air pollution
during pregnancy can have long-term effects on lung-function
development in children with asthma, said lead