ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Pregnancy makes you vulnerable to a lot of infections, but a new study from Texas A&M University found there may be a particular cause for an increased risk of respiratory viral infections, like the flu, in pregnant women. Ivanhoe has the details on the study and what pregnant women can do to protect themselves.
We’ve all seen the pictures: wildfires in Canada causing smoky air in New York, DC, and even as far south as North Carolina. But smoke from wildfires doesn’t just cause hazy skies.
Sharon Chinthrajah, MD, Assoc. Prof. of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine says, “The air quality was severely impacted. I saw a lot more of my asthmatic patients coming in. They couldn’t breathe.”
People with asthma are not the only ones affected by air pollutants. New research from Texas A&M University found air pollution from things like wildfires, traffic, and even poor indoor air quality produces ultrafine particles, or UFP’s, that can increase a pregnant woman’s risk for getting the flu.
Having the flu while pregnant increases the risk of low birth weight and even miscarriages. But there are things pregnant women can do to protect themselves. First check the air quality in your area with weather apps or by going to airnow.gov. Also, avoid going outside if the air quality is low as air pollutants can still be absorbed through the skin. Invest in a home air purifier and get the flu shot.
“When they vaccinate, it’s not just about them, but it’s also about the people very close to them,” says Sunjoo Ahn, PhD, Associate Professor of Advertising at University of Georgia.
Helping pregnant women protect themselves and their babies.
The researchers say air pollution is responsible for one in nine deaths. And despite proof that the flu vaccine is safe and effective for pregnant women, less than 50 percent of pregnant women ever get the flu shot.
Contributors to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor and Videographer.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/2020-2021/influenza-pregnancy-loss.htm
https://utswmed.org/medblog/4-tips-reduce-air-pollution-risks-during-pregnancy/
PREGNANCY, POLLUTION AND PROBLEMS!
REPORT #3098
BACKGROUND: Air pollution can have an impact on the health of a pregnant woman and her child in utero. Pollutants in the air can cling to the placenta, raising concern for the overall development of the baby. Certain pregnancy-related complications can arise due to air pollution. This includes stillbirth, preterm labor, impaired lung development, and low birth weight. Air pollution presents itself in many ways and can occur outdoors or indoors. Air pollution from tobacco smoke, toxic chemicals, fire, paint, mold, household chemicals, and smog all can play a role in the unfortunate decline of an expectant mother’s health. Around 16,000 premature births in the United States are the result of poor air pollution. This proves to be more prevalent in urban counties such as Ohio Valley, Southern California, and the Eastern part of the nation, according to a new study. Air pollution has been found to be a detriment to expectant mothers, their children, and the U.S. Treasury. In a study conducted by MD, MPP, Leonardo Trasande, it’s been estimated that the United States expends a whopping $4.33 billion annually due to the negative effects air pollution has on preterm births. Of that total, $760 million goes towards extended hospital stays and continual medication use. (Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/air-pollution-and-pregnancy-outcomes#reducing-pollutions-effects https://www.marchofdimes.org/about/news/thousands-premature-births-us-linked-to-air-pollution-study-finds)
DIAGNOSIS: JAMA Pediatrics in Vancouver, Canada conducted a study of 132,256 births. Researchers found that expectant mothers exposed to roadway pollution birthed children who later were diagnosed with autism. A second study tracked more than 15,000 infants born in Denmark between 1989 and 2013. This study detected a correlation between pollution exposure during the commencement of life and an eventual autism diagnosis later in life. Amy Kalkbrenner, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee states that while no one study has been found conclusive, the plethora of information attained from subject research is authentic. She believes greater efforts should be made to reduce emissions in our world. In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 3.7 million premature deaths were caused by outdoor air pollutants and that 3.8 million premature deaths worldwide were caused by indoor pollutants.
(Source: https://www.statnews.com/2018/11/19/pollution-pregnancy-autism-vancouver/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7183911/)
NEW REGULATIONS: In 2021, an executive order was issued by President Joe Biden to have the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issue pollution restrictions for cars and trucks. The EPA complied by releasing in April of 2023 new vehicle emission criteria that will affect vehicles manufactured for the year 2027.
Biden also advised that half of the new vehicles sold in 2030 should be electric. While these changes would be monumental in providing better air quality for expectant mothers, electric vehicles aren’t fashioned in a way that’s inclusive to all. Typically, charging stations for an electric vehicle aren’t accessible in lower income areas and are priced beyond what the average household can afford. The EPA has also buckled down on powerplants and proposed that the emission of greenhouse gases be lessened, as the reduction of those pollutants could greatly protect the air conditions of pregnant people.
(Source: https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2023/06/23/air-pollution-can-impact-childrens-health-even-before-they-are-born/)
* For More Information, Contact:
Louis Kim, PR
Free weekly e-mail on Medical Breakthroughs from Ivanhoe. To sign up: http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk
