Premium

Doctor reveals impact of air pollutants on newborns: ‘Babies spend longer time in the nursery, need respiratory help’

Toxic particles can cross the placenta and interfere with the baby’s development process

Studies show a link between maternal exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of stillbirth, particularly during the third trimester.

For the last few years, ever since high levels of air pollution in Delhi/NCR have been compromising lung health across age groups, Dr Anjana Singh, director and head, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at Fortis, Noida, has seen a sea change during her rounds in the paediatric ward. “Nowadays each newborn is spending a longer time in the nursery before they can be discharged because they are born with respiratory problems and their lung function needs to be stabilised. Some of them have delayed lung development and congenital asthma later. More and more babies are being born with jaundice,” she says.

In fact, pollution, be it in the form of particulate matter floating about in the air, pesticides, gases, fumes and water contaminated with heavy metals, is impacting new-borns like never before. “Clinically, for the first 1,000 days, from conception to when the child is around two-and-a-half years, both mothers and doctors have to be careful about not exposing a new life to pollutants,” says Dr Singh.

It is this vigilance, from foetus to birth and after, that’s making more and more pregnant women choose work-from-home options and move out to their cleaner hometowns to last out their term and then come to Delhi for delivery. “Pollution has a deep impact on foetal development in ways we do not understand yet. But it is the reason why we are seeing many more cases of miscarriage, pre-term births, stillbirths, birth defects, congenital heart disease and neural tube defects (the brain and spine do not develop properly),” she says. Excerpts:

How do air pollutants reach the foetus?

Story continues below this ad

Toxic particles can cross the placenta, which is a temporary organ that connects the baby to the mother via an umbilical cord, and interfere with the baby’s development process. First, the placenta gets inflamed, so there is a resistance to blood flow. Then the blood vessels get damaged and there is reduced blood flow to the foetus.

How do air pollutants impact the health of the pregnant woman and her foetus?

First of all, they disrupt nutrient delivery to the foetus, resulting in low birth weight. Studies show a link between maternal exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of stillbirth, particularly during the third trimester.

Exposure to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is linked to an increased risk of both low birth weight and premature birth, which can lead to other complications. Any sooty particles can travel through the bloodstream to the placenta, affecting the foetus’s lung development and increasing the risk of lifelong respiratory issues like asthma.

Story continues below this ad

Pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, which are released from incomplete burning of food, coal, oil and gas) impact organ development, potentially leading to congenital heart disease, neural tube defects or cleft palate. Some research has shown a link between exposure to high levels of air pollution during pregnancy and a higher risk of autism spectrum disorder in children.

Air pollution has been known to trigger high blood pressure in the mother, increasing the risk of preeclampsia, which can harm the foetus.

Microplastics floating in the air emanate from sources like synthetic clothing, car tyres and breakdown of plastic waste. These are endocrine disruptors, which means they can play around with hormones, leading to problems during sensitive developmental periods. They are a trigger of gestational diabetes, trigger inflammation and imbalance the gut microbiome. Microplastics have been found in the human placenta, umbilical cord and umbilical cord blood, indicating they can pass from mother to foetus, where they hamper organ development and the central nervous system.

What are the long-term consequences?

Low birth weight and premature delivery can lead to a higher risk of infant mortality, developmental delays and chronic conditions later in life, such as diabetes and heart disease. Studies have shown that pollutants can lead to DNA sequence changes and chromosomal aberrations, which can increase susceptibility to certain diseases.

Story continues below this ad

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is associated with a greater chance of the newborn developing wheezing and asthma.

In fact, the cumulative effect of air pollutants can delay developmental milestones.

How to protect oneself during pregnancy?

Pregnant women should wear N 95 masks when stepping outside, stay indoors as much as possible, use air purifiers and exercise indoors.