Babies born to mothers exposed to air pollution from traffic during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing asthma before the age of six, according to a new research out of the University of British Columbia.
“Our study results highlight the danger of exposure to pollution while babies are still in the womb”, said lead author Hind Sbihi.
The increased asthma risk even occurs in urban areas like Vancouver with relatively low levels of air pollution.
Over 65,000 Metro Vancouver children were involved in the study, one of the largest of its kind.
The study revealed that children whose mothers lived close to highways during pregnancy have a 25 per cent increased relative risk of developing asthma before the age of five.
The UBC study also found children born to older mothers were at higher risk of being impacted by air pollution exposure.