New Study Links Outdoor Air Pollution To Millions of Preterm Births: See Details Here!

A major study by a team of researchers at The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at the University of York has recently linked outdoor air pollution with 2.7 million preterm births every year. The researchers found that about 2.7 million (18 percent) preterm births globally in 2010 were associated with outdoor exposure to fine particulate matter also known as PM2.5.

PM2.5 has been reported to be very harmful to human health, as it can penetrate deep into the lungs where it wrecks havoc. The findings of the instant study suggest that addressing the major sources of PM2.5 which are diesel vehicles, agricultural waste burning and many others could reduce to a minimal level the rate of preterm birth and save babies' lives.

The researchers noted that when a baby is born preterm, there is an increased risk of death or long-term physical and neurological disabilities. Risk factors for preterm birth are numerous, ranging from a woman's age, to illness and poverty among others. However, the current study suggests that exposure to air pollution could also be a culprit, according to Science Daily.

For the first time, the researchers quantified the global impact by combining data about air pollution in different countries with knowledge about how exposure to different levels of air pollution is associated with preterm birth rates.

"This study highlights that air pollution may not just harm people who are breathing the air directly - it may also seriously affect a baby in its mother's womb," lead author and researcher in SEI's York Centre, at the University of York, Chris Malley said.

He added that preterm births associated with PM2.5 not only influence infant mortality, it also has a life-long health effect in survivors. This study adds an important new consideration in measuring the health burden of air pollution and the benefits of mitigation measures.

The largest contribution to global PM2.5-associated preterm births was from South Asia and East Asia, which together contributed about 75 percent of the global total. the researchers found that India alone accounts for about one million of the total 2.7 million global estimate. they noted that although China accounts for up to 500,000, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa relatively had particularly high figures. The exposures in these regions also have a huge contribution from desert dust.

However, the researchers note that there is uncertainty in these estimates because the concentration-response function they used is based mainly on studies in the United States and Europe. They stated that not only do they not know whether the relationship is the same at much higher concentrations just like in some Indian or Chinese cities, but the prevalence of other risk factors also differs significantly, according to Medical Webtimes.

The researchers also noted expectant mothers around the world are also exposed to high levels of indoor pollution caused by cooking smoke. However, they stressed that resolving these uncertainties will require more studies in these regions. They also emphasized that mitigating the problems associated with PM2.5, it is necessary to first control the numerous different sources, but certain emission sources still dominate in many developing countries. The researchers published their findings in the journal Environment International.