Did you know? Stale air can affect fetal heart development

New York: According to one study, pregnant mothers exposed to particles could be damaged by the developing cardiovascular system in their fetuses. Exposures to these microscopic materials early in the gestation period have a significant impact on the fetal heart's development, especially the main artery and umbilical vein.

A single exposure during the third trimester could limit maternal and fetal blood flow, resulting in additional consequences throughout the adult life of the child, said the study. Late exposures mainly affect the size of the fetus because they limit the mother's blood flow and deprive the fetus of nutrients during the final stages.

"Pregnant women should also consider monitoring the quality of their indoor air," said Phoebe Stapleton, assistant professor at Rutgers University. What the mother inhales affects her circulatory system, which continually adapts to provide the fetus with adequate blood flow.

"These results suggest that pregnant women, women of childbearing age and those who are following fertility treatments should avoid highly polluted areas or stay indoors on high smog days," said Stapleton. Exposure to air pollution contracts the blood vessels, restricts blood flow to the uterus and deprives the fetus of oxygen and nutrients, resulting in delayed growth and development.

It can also lead to common complications of pregnancy, such as intrauterine growth restriction, he explained. The study, published in the journal Cardiovascular Toxicology, examined how the circulatory systems of pregnant rat fetuses exposed to a single exposure to titanium dioxide nanoscale aerosols – a substitute for particles present in a typical air pollution – at the same time. during their first, second and third quarters.

The results were compared to pregnant rats exposed to high efficiency filtered air. In non-pregnant animals, even a single exposure to these nanoparticles was related to impaired uterine artery function.