A nurse takes care of newborn babies in a maternity hospital in Fuyang in eastern China’s Anhui province in August. Photo: Getty Images.
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https://scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3201667/airborne-baby-killer-64000-die-womb-each-year-result-polluted-air-china-despite-official-efforts Environment
‘Airborne baby killer’: 64,000 die in womb each year as a result of polluted air in China despite official efforts to tackle problem
- New Peking University study calculates number of fetal deaths caused by fine particle pollution for first time
- China ranks fourth worst in the world after India, Pakistan and Nigeria in terms of number of filthy air-linked stillbirths
New research ranks China fourth in the world behind India, Pakistan and Nigeria for the number of pollution-linked stillbirths. Photo: SCMP Composite
Fine particles in China’s polluted air kill up to 64,000 babies in the womb every year, a new study by researchers in the country has found.
The shocking figure comes despite efforts by Beijing to tackle the problem over the past 10 or more years.
An analysis of 137 countries revealed that 40 per cent of stillbirths in Asia, Africa and Latin America in 2015 were caused by exposure to particles smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), which are mostly produced by the burning of fossil fuels.
Of all the countries studied – where 98 per cent of the world’s stillbirths occur – China ranked fourth in terms of the number of PM2.5-related fetal deaths, according to the study which was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Communications on Tuesday.
The researchers from Peking University – led by Xue Tao – were keen to point out that measures taken by the Chinese authorities to tackle air pollution over the past decade had prevented even more such deaths.
“Improved air quality in some of the 137 countries (e.g. China) might underlie the reduction in the global burden of stillbirths. Therefore, meeting the World Health Organisation air quality targets could prevent stillbirths,” they wrote.
India, with 217,000 in 2015, recorded the largest number of PM 2.5-related stillbirths, followed by Pakistan and Nigeria, the study found.
While the link between dirty air and stillbirth is widely known, the study is the first to calculate the actual number of fetal deaths. The phenomenon was described by Unicef in a 2020 report as a “neglected tragedy”.
China has undertaken a series of measures over the past 10 years to tackle pollution, but the problem still presents a significant risk to unborn babies. Photo: Getty Images
More than 2 million stillbirths were recorded in the studied countries in 2015, of which 40 per cent were linked to PM2.5 exposure exceeding the WHO guideline level of 10 μg/m3.
Overall, the study found that a 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure was associated with an 11 per cent increase in the risk of stillbirth, and the older the mother is, the stronger the association.
It is still unclear how PM2.5 causes fetal deaths, but the researchers said pollution particles passing through the placenta may lead to “irreversible embryonic damage”. It could also hinder oxygen transmission to the fetus.
PM2.5 pollution became a serious public concern in China a decade ago when major cities such as Beijing were frequently shrouded in heavy smog, triggering a series of government actions.
“In recent years, China has been working hard on treating air pollution and seen rapid improvement in air quality as a result, which is of great importance to the protection of the health of pregnant women and children,” Zhu Tong, another leading author of the study, said in an article on the association between bad air and stillbirths published on the website of Peking University last year.
“However, a great population and uneven social development mean there are still a big number of pregnant women exposed to air pollution,” he said.