Pollution could be the cause for premature delivery, says study

Too much of pollution Scientists at New York University have said that pregnant women who are exposed to traffic pollution during their first trimester are more likely to have a premature delivery or an underweight baby.

The researchers exposed mice at various stages of pregnancy to air pollution and saw that the almost 83 percent of those exposed during their first trimester had premature babies.

Experts are of the firm opinion that the study proves that mums-to-be should avoid heavy pollution areas and also add air filtration systems during early stages of pregnancy.

Professor Judith Zelikoff, of the New York University School of Medicine said that the findings coild lead physicists to tell women to avoid high pollution areas during pregnancy.

Premature births and low birth weight also increases risk for vision and hearing problems, learning problems and even death.

The study went on to look at the effects of fine particulate air pollution which is made up of particle less than one ten-thousandth of an inch in diameter and has been previously linked to risk for asthma and heart disease.

According to the study, exposure to air pollution during the first or second trimester was linked to more negative birth outcomes.

During the study, experts found out that exposure during the first and second trimester also came with decreased body length, decreased placental weight, and decreased anogenital distance, which can reflect abnormal hormone levels.

The study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.