Exposure to higher levels than the average exterior air pollution and extreme temperatures increases the risk of prolonged pregnancy.
A study at the end of January at Urban Climate It suggests that people who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution and extreme temperatures during pregnancy have longer pregnancy than pregnant women who are not exposed to these conditions.
The analysis focused on 393,384 Nados undead in Australia; And, as it detailed, revealed that people who were exposed to very hot or cold temperatures, as well as high levels of thin particles (PM2.5) atmospheric pollution during pregnancy, had more likely to give birth after 41 weeks than people who were not exposed to these conditions.
The average pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks, while babies born after 41 or 42 weeks are designated by “late” or “post-terrmo” births, respectively.
Birth delays may increase the risk of complications associated with excessively large babies-including vaginal hemorrhage or hemorrhage during childbirth-as well as the likelihood of moop or death after birth.
This study is the first to investigate how climate change may affect the risk of prolonged pregnancy.
Investigators examined the amount of air pollution PM2.5 to which 393,384 people were exposed from three months before the conception until delivery. They also used a metric known as a universal thermal climate index (UTCI) to estimate the amount of thermal stress to which the bodies were subject to the climate, taking into account elements such as temperature and air moisture.
Found that 12% (47,380) of mothers had a prolonged pregnancy (41 weeks or more) and that higher levels of exposure to PM2.5 and thermal stress measured by UTCI increased the likelihood of such happening.
Num, quoted by Live Science, the researchers explained that factors such as pollution and high temperatures can increase the production of unstable molecules called “reactive oxygen species”, which can disturb hormonal function.
Women who first gave birth, people over 35, and people living in urban areas were particularly vulnerable to these effects.
Note that, in this study, other factors that may influence the duration of pregnancy, such as smoking, socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity and the maternal age, were also taken into account.
