Pollution is around us at all times in various forms. Avoiding pollution may seem impossible but pollution and pregnancy are not a good combination. Pregnant women encounter different types of pollution and sometimes it can affect the fetus too. Did you know, exposure to pollution during pregnancy can lead to issues like low birth weight, premature birth, and birth defects?
Avoiding regular day-to-day pollution may not be feasible. However, you can ensure you reduce your exposure to the bare minimum by taking the necessary steps and precautions. While you can limit your exposure to water and land pollution, there is nothing you can do about air pollution. Your only option is to find ways to reduce your exposure and stay as safe as possible, throughout your pregnancy.
In This Article
- What Is Air Pollution?
- What Are The Common Types Of Air Pollution?
- Symptoms Of Prolonged Air Pollution Exposure
- Health Problems Pregnant Women May Face Due To Air Pollution
- Tips To Protect Yourself From Air Pollution During Pregnancy
- Can Exposure To Air Pollution During Pregnancy Affect The Fetus?
- FAQs
What Is Air Pollution?
Air pollution in simple terms is the contamination of the air you breathe in. It includes both indoor and outdoor environments. The contaminants can be chemical, biological, or even physical agents which alter the natural air around us.
Despite sitting inside a sterile home, you have exposure to indoor air pollution from the chemicals and perfumes used inside the house. When you step out, you encounter many pollutants – some harmful and some not very harmful.
What Are The Common Types Of Air Pollution?
Some of the common types of air pollution we come across in our day-to-day lives are
- Pollution emitted by vehicles – combustion of fuel
- Fire and smoke
- Smog
- Tobacco smoke
- Household chemicals – surface cleaners, paints, asbestos
- Mold
- Allergens
- Industrial or toxic chemicals due to exposure at the workplace
Symptoms Of Prolonged Air Pollution Exposure
We breathe in the air around us all the time. It can be very difficult to pick on pollutants in your day-to-day environment. In case of prolonged exposure to air pollution during pregnancy, you may notice the following symptoms:
- Eyes and sinus irritation
- Persistent coughing
- Wheezing or asthma
- Respiratory diseases like bronchitis
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Lung and heart damages
- Decrease in lung capacity
Health Problems Pregnant Women May Face Due To Air Pollution
Not all women suffer due to air pollution. However, continuous exposure to some toxic chemicals in the air can have a lasting impact on both the expecting mother and the baby. Some of the possible health issues a pregnant woman may face due to constant exposure to air pollution are
- Preterm Delivery Many studies from different parts of the world confirm the link between exposure to air pollutants and preterm births. Continuous exposure to harmful pollutants in the air due to your profession or residential location can cause premature birth or lasting neurological defects and physical disabilities.
- Low Birth Weight While babies can have low birth weight for multiple reasons, research believes exposure to air pollution is one of the reasons. As the quality of oxygen reaching the fetus is low, it can disrupt or affect the baby’s development, thus affecting their size and weight gain.
- Still-Birth Exposure to harmful air pollutants in the third trimester can cause stillbirths and exposure in the first trimester can cause missed or silent abortions.
- Asthma Prolonged exposure to air pollutants can lead to severe respiratory illnesses in both the mother and the baby. The air pollutants reach the fetus and affect lung development, thus leading to respiratory illnesses like asthma.
- Autism Maternal exposure to harmful air pollutants in the third trimester can increase the risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in babies. Air pollution can cause neurological defects which in turn can lead to such disorders.
Tips To Protect Yourself From Air Pollution During Pregnancy
While we can and should advocate reducing air pollution and doing our part to save nature, it is a long process. Your pregnancy is very short in comparison and the air pollution problem will not come to an end by then.
Here are a few tips to help protect you and your baby:
- Be Aware Of Your Air Quality The first step in protecting yourself and your developing fetus from air pollution is to pay attention to the equality of air around you. You can find government websites to check the quality of air in your area.
- Avoid Poor Air Quality Do you need to get somewhere? Realize the air quality is not so good? Prioritize you and your baby and avoid that environment. For example, if you are around pollution from crackers, move away from that place and stay indoors till the celebration is over. You can stay indoors during high-pollution times like peak traffic hours.
- Avoid Smoking Even if you don’t smoke, being around smokers exposes you to secondary smoke, which can affect your fetus. Tobacco smoke can cause tissue damages in your fetus, which can in turn affect brain and lung formation or development.
- Improve Quality Of Air Around You Today you have air purifiers that are small, and portable too. You can use these compact air purifiers to keep the air around you clean. Carrying such a gadget around may seem like too much trouble, but imagine the side effects of constant exposure to air pollution. You can even opt for indoor air-purifying plants.
- Consider A ChangeIf you are living in a highly polluted area or your work exposes you to many harmful chemicals, consider a change. Try changing your location or profession for both your and your baby’s health. What you have been breathing in all these days may still have an impact on the baby but by changing, you will at least not continue to expose your baby to harmful air pollutants. You can ask your company to give you a different responsibility that does not expose you to pollutants at least through your pregnancy.
Can Exposure To Air Pollution During Pregnancy Affect The Fetus?
The baby is well protected behind multiple layers and quite safe throughout the pregnancy. So, can the air outside reach and affect the baby behind all those layers?
Yes, unfortunately, the air the pregnant mother breathes in will have a direct impact on the fetus. The baby receives oxygen from the mother. So, the air along with all the pollutants will enter the mother’s body, cross the placenta and reach the baby. Prolonged exposure to such pollutants or harmful chemicals can have a direct and sometimes severe impact on the fetus.
Conclusion
Air pollution may seem like an insignificant exposure during pregnancy. However, your exposure to harmful pollutants can have a big impact on both your and your baby’s health. You need to find ways to at least reduce if not prevent your exposure to such pollutants. It is the only way to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy and baby.
FAQs
1. Can Pollution Reach Babies In The Womb?
Yes, it can. The baby receives oxygen from the mother. So, what the mother breathes in can cross over the placenta and reach the baby.
2. Can Pollution Cause Birth Defects?
Studies show prolonged exposure to air pollutants can cause birth defects like congenital heart disease, respiratory diseases, digestive system abnormalities, and more.
3. Can Poor Air Quality Cause Miscarriage?
Yes, constant exposure to harmful pollutants can cause preterm deliveries, stillbirth, low birth weight, miscarriages, and even silent miscarriages (a miscarriage without the usual symptoms).
