Isabell Griffiths
The article that I read dealt mostly with the findings of a review done by Dr. Bekkar as
well as multiple other medical professionals. As we all know, the climate crisis is getting to be
extreme. Much research has shown that there are poor pregnancy outcomes with the O3 (ozone) being damaged by air pollutants and fine particles less than 2.5 μm in diameter. The heat rise has been causing issues with pregnancies. Pregnant women are at a higher risk for issues with their compromised cardiopulmonary physiologies (increased strain on lungs and heart). A review by Bekkar et al. focuses on studies with about 31 million births in the US. Some key findings show that PM2.5, O3, and heat, together or alone, are associated with PTB (preterm birth; delivering <37 weeks). Preterm birth is a major risk to any child born. Bekkar et al. also noticed that exposure to PM2.5 is associated with neonatal issues. It has been shown that pregnancies associated with PM2.5 are about 18%, or roughly 2.7 million. So if a pregnant woman is exposed to PM2.5 then her baby has a much higher chance of being delivered before the due date. The article had major implications for the health of pregnant women and newborns. The findings indicate more should be done to protect pregnant women and newborns.
Thankfully, there have been some recent changes. In 2019, the International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians established a committee for reproductive and environmental health. The goal of this organization is to advocate for policies to reduce PM2.5 exposure to pregnant/trying families, especially pregnant women. A major implication this would have on the general medical field would be taking into consideration possible exposures. If a pregnant woman comes into a hospital with symptoms of exposure, healthcare professionals need to take into consideration what they could possibly be exposed to. Many pregnancies coming from rural, farming areas are at higher risk of exposure to pesticides than pregnancies coming from the cities. These can all have major effects on the child. This particular example of environmental health is now considered to be a major issue with pregnancies.
References:
Giudice LC. A Clarion Warning About Pregnancy Outcomes and the Climate Crisis. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(6):e208811. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.8811
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