An average of over 120,000 babies with congenital complications are born a year. Congenital complications are believed to result from genetics, maternal choices during pregnancy, environmental factors, and other influences. One environmental factor, air pollution, is associated with low birth weight (a birth weight under 5.5 pounds) and being preterm (born prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy).
Such birth complications are serious. As a result of being born prematurely or too small, babies are more susceptible to medical issues, including neurological injury, blood-related conditions, and pulmonary complications. Being born preterm or at a low birth weight are the most common causes of fatalities within a month of birth and amount to about 1.8 million deaths globally. The lower the weight at which the baby is born, the more severe birth defects can be. Additionally, it is not just during infancy that such babies are particularly susceptible to medical problems. If they live past the first few years of life, the babies are at an increased likelihood of developing both immune-related conditions as children and serious recurring illnesses as adults.
Certain chemical exposures during infancy can be highly detrimental to child development. For example, studies have shown that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), released from burning fossil fuels, at concentrations in the air in New York City, can negatively impact the IQ of youth, which suggests that they may struggle with school work over the long term. Growing amounts of data indicate that the negative impact of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide, is severe and chronic, triggering behavioral, locomotion, and intellectual difficulties in kids.
Air contaminants have been shown to have further negative impacts on children. Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder have indicated that females who breathe in more air contaminants while pregnant have infants who become abnormally heavy in the first six months of life, which can lead to obesity and additional health problems during adulthood. One research investigation done about Hispanic moms and babies describes data indicating that air pollution might play a role in obesity in America. This is especially prominent for marginalized groups who often reside in areas with a greater amount of air contaminants. Past studies have indicated that females who smoke or breathe in lots of air contaminants during pregnancy are more likely to conceive low birth weight children. From birth to 12 months, such babies often put on weight abnormally quickly. Infants who experience such a rapid increase in weight are more likely to suffer from diabetes, heart conditions, and obesity as children or young adults. Black populations and economically disadvantaged people may breathe in 150% as many air contaminants as Caucasian people.
“Infants who experience such a rapid increase in weight are more likely to suffer from diabetes, heart conditions, and obesity as children or young adults.”
In addition, maternal behaviors like smoking can be quite harmful and even deadly for children. Tobacco smoke impacts brain maturation in infants. Nicotine from smoking goes across the placenta, leading to blood levels around the fetus that are possibly greater than in the mom. This can substantially impair the crucial components of central nervous system development that occur during this time. Further, tobacco smoke during fetal development can lead to poor academic performance for the child in elementary school. Despite the danger of smoking for fetal development, 10 million children five years of age or younger breathe in smoke in their residences. On top of this, babies from less fortunate or marginalized communities are more likely to have secondhand smoke exposure, as a greater proportion of adults smoke in these groups.
Pregnancy and infancy are essential periods in child development. However, the impact of the environment on young children can often be overlooked as they make up a minority of the population. Educating pregnant women and those who smoke about the potential environmental impacts of their actions is thus critical for addressing health concerns of babies and young children. In addition, society must look to sources of pollution, like corporations, farming industries, fossil fuels, and cars, which are equally at the heart of the issue. Change is possible, but it will take bringing about a collective and consistent effort.
