Photo of a newborn baby wrapped in a blue cloth

A new baby is like the beginning of all things – wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities 〜 Eda J LeShan 

Attention to all mother-to-be! Here is a post just for you, something that you will not want to miss. 

A baby is a blessing, a gift from heaven above, a precious little angel, to cherish and love. As a soon-to-be mother, taking good care of herself and being protective of her soon-to-be child/children is her biggest responsibility during this period. The food she eats, the products that she uses, and the things she does is important as it will affect the newborn in her tummy. But more often than not, most of us will forget that the air around us might not be safe as well. 

As Zhi Yong and I have mentioned before in previous posts, vehicles, industrials (and many others) released toxic gases into the atmosphere. The exposure to these toxic gases can greatly impact the pregnant women and her child. 

It is noted from studies that air pollution does have an effect on fetal development (Tang et al., 2014; Polanska et al., 2016). The weight, height, and head circumference of the fetal gets smaller with increased air pollution. It is known that increased air pollution is linked with B[a]P DNA adduct levels (Tang et al., 2014). It shows that as the air quality gets worse, the Benzo[a]pyrene-Deoxyribonucleic Acid (B[a]P-DNA) adduct levels get higher. B[a]P-DNA is a proxy for Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – DNA (PAH-DNA) damage (Perera et al., 2005). Higher levels of PAH-DNA will result in lower weight, shorter height, and smaller head circumference (Tang et a., 2014). Besides slower growth, a higher B[a]P DNA is associated with an increased risk of cancer (Perara et al., 2005). Meaning that the newborn will likely have a higher chance of having cancer even before it is being born. 

Preventing outdoor air pollution may seem slightly easier than indoor air pollution as we just need to make sure that we are always indoors. However, indoor air pollution is what we have to be cautious about. Here are 3 tips that you can stay healthy during the 9 months of pregnancy. 

Tip 1: Use of air purifier in the house. It can help to filter and clean the harmful particulate matter. Though we have discussed the effectiveness of air purifiers before: saying that it is not 100% efficient, it does however filter out 99.5% of the harmful substances in the air which still provides us with clean air. Having one at home during pregnancy (better than not having one) will definitely protect you and your fetus. 

Tip 2: Avoid using a gas stove and smoking (either yourself or staying close to people who smoke). These actions provide carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide gases which are harmful. 

Tip 3: Plant plants! They are natural air purifiers! It will also lighten your mood and keep you occupied when you are bored at home (I.e. water the plants). 

These are some tips that ensure that you and your soon-to-be child is safe and protected. Isn’t that what we all want? Having a healthy baby 🙂 

Your environmental buddy,
Jeanice 

References: 

Bioderma. (N.D.). Newborn baby in a cloth [Online image]. Retrieved from: https://www.bioderma.sg/your-skin/babys-skin/why-use-specific-care-products-babies-and-children

Dristi. (2019, July 18). Mother-to-be, Beware! Air Pollution can cause abnormal foetal growth and development. Retrieved from http://air-pollution.in/mother-to-be-beware-air-pollution-can-cause-abnormal-foetal-development/

Tang, D., Li, T. Y., Chow, J. C., Kulkarni, S. U., Watson, J. G., Ho, S. S. H., . . . Perera, F. (2014). Air pollution effects on fetal and child development: A cohort comparison in china. Environmental Pollution (1987), 185, 90-96. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2013.10.019

Perera, F., Tang, D., Whyatt, R., Lederman, S. A., & Jedrychowski, W. (2005). DNA damage from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons measured by benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts in mothers and newborns from northern manhattan, the world trade center area, poland, and china. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 14(3), 709-714. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-04-0457

Polańska, K., Kowalska, M., & Hanke, W. (2016). Impact of air pollution on pregnancy duration, birth outcomes and Children’s health: Polish mother and child cohort. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 207, 203. doi:10.2495/AIR160191