Bad Air Quality Ups Risk For Premature Birth A new study claims
that air pollution can leave women with a 30 percent higher risk
of giving birth prematurely. The study focused on 100,000 births
and found that “toxic” chemicals emitted by urban traffic
damages the health of unborn babies as well as their mothers.
“Air pollution is known to be associated with low birth weight
and premature birth,” Dr Beate Ritz from the University of
California said in a statement. “Our results show that traffic-
related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are of special
concern as pollutants, and that PAH sources besides traffic
contributed to premature birth.” The researchers looked at the
births registered within five miles of air quality monitoring
stations in Los Angeles County. They used information from
health officials about the babies and their mothers together
with air pollution levels to work out the effects. The
researchers found that exposure to “critical pollutants” like
PAH led to a 30 percent increase in risk