Most Air Pollution Exposure in U.S. Pregnancies is from Wildfires, Study Says

Wildfire smoke has become the leading source of unhealthy air pollution exposure during U.S. pregnancies, increasing its contribution to prenatal PM2.5 exposure as overall pollution declined.

Researchers analyzed roughly 64.5 million pregnancies across 48 states from 2003 to 2019 and found wildfire smoke’s contribution to PM2.5 exposure more than doubled, from 3.7% to 8.2%. By 2019, wildfires accounted for about 65% of days when pregnancy-related PM2.5 exposure exceeded federal standards used in the study.

Because wildfire smoke is associated with adverse birth outcomes, the findings highlight the importance of clean-air shelters, filtration and access to medical care for pregnant people. Read more from Reuters here.