Effect of air pollution on Pregnancy loss

Effect of air pollution on Pregnancy loss

In a recent study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal revealed that Poor air quality has been linked to a considerable proportion of pregnancy loss in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Key Points of this Study

1. Exposure to PM 2.5 particles that exceeded India's air quality standard of 40 µg/m3 led to an estimated 349,681 pregnancy losses per year in South Asia, which is the most populous region in the world. This accounts for 7 per cent of annual pregnancy loss in the region from 2000-2016.
2. The study included 34,197 women who had lost a pregnancy, including 27,480 miscarriages and 6,717 stillbirths, which were compared to live birth controls.
3. Of the pregnancy loss cases, an astonishing 77 per cent were from India, 12 per cent from Pakistan, and 11 per cent from Bangladesh.
4. Pregnancy loss associated with air pollution was more common in the Northern plains region in India and Pakistan.
5. The increase in risk was found to be greater for mothers from rural areas or those who became pregnant at an older age, compared to younger mothers from urban areas.
6. The study, however, also found that pregnancy loss is attributable to PM 2.5 also affected mothers aged 30 years and above in rural areas because of their high susceptibility to the adverse effects of pollution.
7. The researchers concluded that gestational exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an increased likelihood of pregnancy loss, and this remained significant after adjusting for other factors.
8. The researchers pointed out some limitations in their study, inlcuding not being able to distinguish between natural pregnancy loss and abortions and under-reporting of pregnancy losses due to stigma.

How Air Quality Can Cause Pregnancy Loss?

The researchers found that the reason behind the air pollution to cause pregnancy loss is that the fine particles have been reported to cross the blood placenta barrier and harm the embryo directly. Exposure to poor air quality can cause disorders such as inflammation, oxidative stress and blood pressure elevation which can act as factors to increase the risk of pregnancy loss.