Dirty air reaches babies in the womb

Asthma in toddlers is associated with exposure to contaminated age while still in the womb. Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York found that if expectant mothers were exposed to increased concentrations of polluted air during pregnancy, then the likelihood of developing asthma in their children increased. 

The study authors analyzed exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs), which are not subject to stringent sanitary regulations. However, it is known that the toxicity of UFP is even higher than that of large particles, the concentration of which in the air is strictly regulated. 

Sources of UFP emissions into the air are cars and wood-burning stoves, and tens of thousands of such particles can be found in a volume of city air the size of a sugar cube. Researchers believe that these particles pass through the lungs of expectant mothers and enter the bloodstream, where they give rise to destructive inflammation.

 Also, the ability of particles to enter the fetal bloodstream through the placenta has now been proven. UFP has been linked to brain tumors in the past, and the current study has again shown that authorities should pay attention to the concentration of ultrafine particles that pose such a risk to the health of future generations.