Air Pollution Increases Mortality Risk for Babies

Air pollution may significantly increase the risk of death for babies up to one-year-old, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Cardiff University School of Medicine tracked nearly 8 million infants born in England and Wales between 2001 and 2012.

The findings showed that the infants that live in extremely polluted areas had a 30-50 % greater risk of dying by any cause by the age of one.

There was a 20-40% increased risk of death for babies aged up to one in the most polluted areas.

The doctors also found a 20-40% increased risk in the neonatal period- The first 28 days of life– in polluted areas.

And they recorded a 30-50% spike in postneonatal deaths, which dates after the 28 days and one year- in the same areas.

“Microscopic particles emitted by cars and industry enter the lungs and bloodstream, which can trigger heart disease, and lung cancer as well as lung infections later in life,” the researchers said.

The observational study, led by Dr. Sarah Kotecha, did not reveal the reason for the mortality risk for the children, but it did discover three main culprits that raised the risk.

The main culprits were Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM10), which is mainly released by traffic, and Sulphur dioxide (SO2), which is produced by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.

It was discovered that the chance of infant death was 7% greater in areas with high levels of NO2, 4% by PM10 and 19% by SO2.

They had also found that neonatal deaths increased by 21% in areas plagued by SO2, but not significantly for NO2 and PM10, while the risk of the post-neonatal death increased by 11%, 12 % and 15% for areas high in NO2, PM10, and SO2, respectively.

The findings will be presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress, which will take place in Madrid, on September 29.

'Air pollution Health effects'

The health effects of air pollution are serious. It is hard to escape. It is all around us.

Around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that lead to diseases such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

The organization has pointed out that about 4.2 million deaths occur every year as a result of exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution.

Meanwhile, around 3.8 million deaths happen every year as a result of household exposure to smoke from dirty cookstoves and fuels.