A large Chinese cohort study identifies early pregnancy as a sensitive window during which sulfur dioxide exposure is associated with higher odds of limb abnormalities, sharpening the focus on air quality and maternal health protection.
Study: Maternal exposure to ambient air pollution and risk of congenital limb defects in offspring. Image Credit chayanuphol / Shutterstock
In a recent article published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers investigated whether women who are exposed to environmental air pollutants during the pre-conception and early pregnancy periods are more likely to have children with congenital limb defects (CLDs).
They found that women who were exposed to sulfur dioxide during the first three months after conception were more likely to have children with higher odds of…