AIIMS study shows how air pollution harms foetal growth

Key points

• The fact that air pollution leads to adverse outcomes in pregnancy has been known for some time.
• Now, for the first time, Indian researchers have identified the molecular pathways that get disrupted due to dangerous particulate matter (PM) in the environment, altering biological processes that help a baby grow properly in the womb.
• The researchers associated with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi have shown how pollutants can reduce the placenta's ability to deliver nutrients, affect the development of blood vessels, and alter the activity of genes that regulate growth.
• The important study published in EMBO Molecular Medicine suggests that very small polluting particles can reach the placenta, the organ that supplies oxygen and nutrients from mother to foetus.
• Once there, they appear to trigger inflammation and cellular stress, which can interfere with the placenta's normal functioning.