When we are pregnant we try to escape from environments full of tobacco smoke and avoid rooms where chemicals are handled, including freshly painted rooms. We do it for the sake of our baby. But do we also avoid air pollution, so harmful to health?
In case you needed a reminder: Polluting particles that enter the lungs of pregnant women They can settle in the placenta and affect the development of the fetus.
It is the conclusion reached by an investigation of the Queen Mary University in London, presented at the Congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) held in Paris.
A study conducted in London
One of the researchers, Dr. Lisa Mayashita, explains that:
"We have known for some time that air pollution affects the development of the fetus and can continue to affect babies after birth and throughout their lives: from growth problems to neuropsychological disorders."
"We were interested to see if these effects could be due to contamination particles moving from the mother's lungs to the placenta. Until now, there was very little evidence that inhaled particles reached the blood from the lung."
For the first time, tiny carbon particles, normally created by burning fossil fuels, have been found in the placenta after examining five placentas of non-smoking women and residents of London, where the maximum limits of nitrogen dioxide contamination were exceeded In just one month.
They used an optical microscope to examine 3,500 macrophages (immune system cells that neutralize the bacteria that are in the lungs of people exposed to high urban pollution.
Avoid areas of extreme pollution
Professor Mina Gaga, president of the European Respiratory Society, and who was not involved in the study, commented at the Congress, following her presentation:
"This new research suggests a possible mechanism for how babies are affected by pollution while they are theoretically protected in the womb. This should raise awareness among doctors and the public about the harmful effects of air pollution on pregnant women."
Therefore, as explained:
"We need stricter cleaner air policies to reduce the impact of pollution on health worldwide because we are already seeing a new population of young adults with health problems."
"Pregnant women should avoid at all costs the busiest streets and contaminated by urban traffic, a recommendation that should be extended to children and the general population,"
concludes the expert.
Photos | iStock
