The researchers found that there are an estimated 349,681 pregnancy losses each year in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, with poor air quality.
But the study is believed to be the first of its kind to quantify the effect of environmental pollution on pregnancy loss in South Asia, one of the most polluted regions on Earth, and the authors claim that their findings are important for improving public and maternal life. health, particularly in low-income countries.
“South Asia has the highest pregnancy loss load globally and is one of the most polluted PM2.5 regions in the world. Our findings suggest that poor air quality could be responsible for ‘a considerable burden of pregnancy losses in the region, providing an additional justification for urgent action to combat dangerous pollution levels,’ said the study’s lead author, Drs. Tao Xue, who is an assistant professor at Peking University, China.
PM2.5 is a tiny particle contamination that can move deep into the lungs when inhaled and enters the bloodstream. The particles, made up of dust, dirt, soot or smoke, originate in construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, chimneys or fires, and may contain different chemicals. But most particles are a mixture of pollutants from emissions from power plants, industries and vehicles.
The researchers focused on these small particles of pollution. They found, between 2000 and 2016, that 7.1% of pregnancy losses in South Asia were attributable to mothers being exposed to air pollution that exceeded the current quality standard of pregnancy. air of 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air from India.
The study found that pregnant women in rural areas or those who were older were at higher risk than young mothers in urban areas. And pregnancy loss associated with air pollution was more common in the region of the plains of northern India and Pakistan.
To reach their conclusions, the researchers examined data from household health surveys from 1998 to 2016 and estimated exposure to pollution during pregnancy with the help of satellites. They then created a model that examined how exposure to pollution increased women’s risk of losing pregnancy, taking into account maternal age, temperature and humidity, seasonal variations, and long-term trends. term of pregnancy loss.
The study included 34,197 women who had lost their pregnancies, including 27,480 miscarriages and 6,717 stillbirths. Of the pregnancy losses, 77% were from India, 12% from Pakistan and 11% from Bangladesh.
The authors argue that worse air quality may increase the burden of pregnancy loss in low- and middle-income countries, so improving pollution levels could reduce abortions and stillbirths and lead to improvements. significant changes in gender equality.
“We know that losing a pregnancy can have mental, physical, and economic effects on women, including an increased risk of postnatal depressive disorders, infant mortality during subsequent pregnancy, and increased pregnancy-related costs, such as loss of pregnancy. part, ”he said. co-author Dr. Tianjia Guan, of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Beijing Union College of Medicine.
The study warns that more research is needed to establish the causality between contamination and pregnancy loss, as they said survey data are subject to memory bias. Researchers were also unable to distinguish between natural pregnancy loss and abortions. They also point out that natural pregnancy losses have been reported due to stigma or ignoring very early miscarriages.