The Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives published a study by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) showing that pollution can have significant and long lasting impacts on the health of your child.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a key component of automobile and industrial pollution.  CIHR analyzed the backgrounds of nearly 2500 children and looked at NO2 pollution levels in the cities where they were born and spent the first year of their life.

The study found that children with a hyper-allergic reaction to food allergens or airborne particle allergens had been more heavily exposed to NO2 pollution than children without these allergies.

Pollution Can Harm Babies Even When You Are Pregnant 

We’ve also seen that pollution can have a significant impact on babies even before they are born.  Another study analyzed differences in birth weight of babies born after 2008 in Beijing. In 2008, Beijing took significant measures to reduce air pollution prior to the Olympics.  Babies born shortly after the Olympics showed an increased in birth weight.  This indicated that exposure to pollution by pregnant mothers has impact on the health of the baby even before it is born.  The study found that the most significant impact of pollution occurred during month 8 of the pregnancy. 

In summary, pollution is damaging to babies at almost any time in their life. 

See our Best Air Purifiers for Chemicals list for units designed to remove chemical pollution.

External Article Sources: 

Perinatal Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Atopy at 1 Year of Age in a Multi-Center Canadian Birth Cohort Study

Differences in Birth Weight Associated with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Air Pollution Reduction:”