Mothers’ exposure to air pollution linked to low birth weight of babies — Israeli study

9 March 2022, 7:07 pm

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A coal-fired power plant and steam from a refinery next to a wind generator in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on January 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

A new study from Hebrew University links mothers’ exposure to air pollution to low birth weights among the babies they deliver.

The study examines the birth weight of 380,000 babies born to mothers throughout Israel during the years 2004-2015.

“The study clearly showed the association between the level of the air pollutant PM 2.5 and low birth weight,” according to a press statement from Hebrew University. “It also revealed that mothers who were underweight and those of lower socioeconomic status were more vulnerable to exposure to air pollution.”