Car Exhaust Leads to Premature Births

Scientific American reports another reason to scrap the internal combustion engine and move the American fleet to electric:

"Women exposed to air pollution from freeways and congested roads are much more likely to give birth to premature babies and suffer from preeclampsia, according to a study by University of California scientists published Wednesday."

Researchers studied more than 81,000 birth records and found that the risk of giving birth before 30 weeks increased 128% for women living "near the worst traffic-generated air pollution." And Preeclampsia, high blood pressure that can endanger the mother and baby, increased 42% in those areas.

The areas they looked at were near the Port of Los Angeles in Long Beach and in Orange County near the major freeways.

Some of the mother's in the area of premature babies talked about how they were careful during preganancy - ate well, no smoking, drugs or alcohol - and that the doctors could never find a physical reason for the premature birth. 

"The link to air pollution was strongest for the “very preterm” babies, who often weigh less than three pounds and have the greatest risk of serious health problems. The researchers compared women who lived in areas with the most traffic-related pollution with women who lived in areas with the least traffic pollution. Those in the polluted areas were 128 percent more likely to deliver “very preterm” babies."

It's virtually impossible to avoid air pollution, which is why we have to advocate for strict regulation of environmental toxins, the highest possible fuel efficiency standards, government support for electrification of the American car fleet and the highest possible energy efficiency and renewable energy standards to get us off of dirty fossil fuels like coal and oil.