Our belief that life is the securest within the safety of the mother’s womb is being turned upside down by recent studies. It had been proved by earlier studies that when mother is exposed to polluted environment, the toxins formed in the mother’s blood will reach the unborn baby and may result in abnormalities in the newborn.

The abnormalities may be increased risk for diseases like cancer, reduced birth weight and less-than-average head size. It can also cause delays in developments in babies and childhood asthma. The latest study links air pollution to low IQ, confirming the long-held belief that pollution will adversely affect the developing brain.

The study conducted by the Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Columbia University, involved 249 children from New York City, mostly living in inexpensive localities like Northern Manhattan and South Bronx. The fetal air pollution was measured by fitting the mothers with backpack air monitors, which they carried around during the last few months of pregnancy.

The air pollution was the same as seen in many cities, mainly due to exhaust fumes from vehicles and factory emissions. The children were subjected to IQ tests at the age of 5 years, before starting school. It was found that those children whose mothers were exposed to maximum air pollution scored the lowest in the tests.

Other factors for low IQ scores were taken into account, like exposure to air pollution after birth, secondhand smoke and the stimulus for learning. However, it was seen that in spite of leaving allowances for these factors, the difference is huge to be ignored.

The children and mothers included in the study were either black or Dominican-American. However, in all probability, the results will apply to other races as well.

Environmental Health experts opine that the study is an important step in the right direction and further research is needed to confirm the findings and explore new possibilities.

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