A study published in the journal ′Antioxidants′, revealed that pollution exposure during pregnancy can have long-term consequences for newborns and children, even into adulthood.

Researchers tested the impact of particulate pollution on litter size, birth weight, and immunological markers identified in the lung and liver tissue of newborn offspring using animal models lacking the Nrf2 gene and unmodified animal models. They exposed both unmodified and Nrf2 gene knocked-out animal models to fresh, filtered air as well as air containing ultrafine particles.During pregnancy, there were no statistically significant variations in weight increase or litter size in the animal models in the four groups. The birth weights of Nrf2-deficient pups were lower than those of their non-modified counterparts. Pollution had no discernible impact on unaltered animal models, suggesting that Nrf2 may serve a protective role during pregnancy. Immunological markers were shown to be significantly different in Nrf2-deficient offspring, indicating a shift in immune function in those models.

The findings revealed that air pollution was connected to an increased risk of low birth weight, preterm birth, and the development of asthma later in life. The tiny size of ultrafine particles could enter deeper into airways, posing greater health risks. These findings support the link between Nrf2 deficiency and a variety of chronic illnesses and also highlight the need of setting health standards for ultrafine particulate matter pollution, which appears to have substantial consequences for prenatal and neonatal health and development. (Hindusthan Times, Apr 11, 2022)