Air Pollution and its Effects on Pregnancy

Question

Nowadays, when the number of cars on the road is very high, the level of air pollution produced by the vehicles with internal combustion engines has reached alarming levels. We know that a large number of people are aware of the fact that we need to protect the environment by reducing our carbon footprint, but the large number of vehicles burning gasoline, diesel fuel or natural gas keeps growing instead of being reduced. At the same time, many developing countries rely heavily on coal as the main energy source for electricity and heat generation, which reduces the quality of the air in their countries very much. Pregnant women living in developing countries from Asia and South America need to breathe an air that is full of greenhouse gases and particulate matter, which also affects the young generation and the elders.

What Chemical Substances released into the atmosphere are causing Air Pollution?

The chemical substances released into the atmosphere while burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear fuels (uranium and plutonium) and their derivatives include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), ammonia (NH3), radioactive pollutants and particulate matter (PM).

How are Pregnant Women affected by Air Pollution?

All these harmful gases are causing cardiovascular and lung diseases, especially to the old and very young generation, and could severely affect male fertility and pregnancy in women. Giving the fact that the baby that is still inside its mother's womb breathe the same air like its mother, it could be severely affected during development and because its tiny organs are very vulnerable to such harmful gases. Pregnant women living in very polluted areas such as large towns where the number of vehicles on the streets is very high, or those living in cities where the local authorities are burning large quantities of coal during the winter for the industry and to ensure residential heating, which leads to thick waves of smog in the town, will be severely affected. The negative effects could lead to early miscarriage, issues during pregnancy, and to a birth of a child with serious health issues.

Air Pollution affecting male fertility

Couples that are planning to have their first child, might suffer a strong shock when unsuccessfully trying to have a baby, and finding during medical analyzes, that the future father has fertility issues which were prior unknown. If the young generation and the old people could suffer severe forms of disease just because they are daily exposed to a high dose of harmful gases produced by the large number of cars in their town and by an industry that still uses fossil fuels, the young and middle-aged couples planning to have their first child could be differently affected. Of course that male infertility can have many sources today some of them not being related to environmental conditions. However, young males trying to have their first baby and finding that they can't do it, just because they have lived in a very polluted area for a long period of time can consider themselves victims of the energetic system in their country.