Air Pollution May Lead To Smaller Babies

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/10/health/webmd/main4934332.shtml

Apr 28, 2009
(WebMD) Exposure to air pollution both early and late in pregnancy may have a negative impact on fetal growth, a new study shows.

Air pollution, especially pollution from car exhaust, was linked to smaller birth weight in the newly published study even after researchers controlled for known risk factors.

The study does not prove that exposure to pollutants in the air directly affects fetal growth, and findings from previous investigations examining the question have been mixed.

But the evidence as a whole is increasingly suggestive of such a relationship, lead researcher David Q. Rich, ScD, MPH, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, tells WebMD.