Dr Archana Dhawan Bajaj is a Gynecologist, Obstetrician and IVF Expert at Nurture IVF Centre
With the winters settling in most parts of the country, the weather around us is soothing as it relaxes our mind and body. The cool morning breeze brings with it a new found freshness and energizes us in a way like no other. However, the pleasant winters are known to be one of the leading cause of pollution related deaths in adults and infants. Children are more prone to greater health problems due to their fetal development and in their earliest years and that’s because children breathe faster than adults.
The initial lockdown period saw a steep decline in air pollution, however the levels are rising again and air quality has already dipped to very poor category in several cities. Our national capital is facing the brunt of poor air quality and the smoggy mornings and evenings that we are exposed to is a proof. People are facing the harmful effects of air pollution on a daily basis right from irritation in the eyes to breathing problems. According to a report — State of Global Air 2020 — on air pollution exposures and their impacts on human health, pollution contributed to the deaths of more than 1, 16,000 Indian infants in their first month of life in 2019. Solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, and animal dung used for cooking have been related to more than half of these deaths. While the government claims a decline in the average pollution levels in India over the last three years, the decline has been marginal particularly in the Indo-Gangetic plains, which normally see extremely high particulate matter pollution exposure particularly during winter.
A growing body of evidence shows that there is link between infant death and air pollution and several Indian and international studies have also tried to explain it. Air pollution lowers lifelong health and productivity by limiting the growth and development of babies and children which in turn impacts their adult economic productivity. Low and middle-income countries need to address the impacts of air pollution on adverse pregnancy outcomes and newborn health as it allows the design of strategic interventions that can be directed at these vulnerable groups.
Protective measures
Parents need to be alert and take immediate measures to protect their children, especially babies from the harmful effects of air pollution. Here are some tips for parents:
Avoid toxic air exposure: It’s most important to avoid exposure to outside environment and thankfully in our country, babies are not taken out in public before they are at least a month old.
Avoid early morning sunlight for babies: Early morning hours are the worst as it has highest levels of air pollution. Therefore, limit the exposure to afternoon as it is a relatively safer period for babies.
Make use of air purifier: It is a myth that air purifiers can reduce a child’s immunity, however it tends to make the air dry, therefore one must also use a humidifier along with air purifier. Alternatively, make use of indoor plants or vertical gardens in the house.
Avoid exposure to dust and use organic repellents: Parents need to protect their babies from the harmful effects of dust and indoor pollution as well. Avoid cleaning or dusting the room in presence of the baby and as far as possible makes use of organic mosquito repellents instead of chemical sprays.
Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding gives a lot of immunity to your baby, therefore, feed your child frequently so that they have immunity and also keep them hydrated at all times.