Air Pollution Could Be Contributing To Millions Of Premature Births

<p>Every year, roughly&nbsp;<a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs363/en/" target="_blank">15 million babies</a>&nbsp;are born prematurely.</p><p>And now, scientists think the air we breathe is partially to blame.</p><p>Estimates in a new study have linked up to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412016305992" target="_blank">3.4 million premature</a>&nbsp;births to pregnant women breathing fine particulate matter &mdash; or air pollution.</p><p>According to the study, the highest numbers of those births are in South and East Asia, the Middle East and some African countries.</p><p><b>SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/india-s-air-pollution-rivaling-china-s-for-worst-in-world/">India Is On Its Way To Having The Worst Air Pollution In The World</a></b></p><p>The study does have limitations. There&#39;s not a whole lot of research on preterm births in some highly affected areas. Other factors like poverty, infection, education and psychological health also come into play.</p><p>Still, researchers believe a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/16/premature-births-air-pollution-maternal-health-who-study" target="_blank">reduction in air pollution</a>&nbsp;in the areas where it&#39;s most prevalent could mean fewer babies being born too early.</p><p>And that&#39;s an important finding. According to the World Health Organization, complications from premature births are the leading cause of death for children under 5.</p><hr><b>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a></b><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/scientists-create-facial-recognition-technology-for-lemurs/">Why Scientists Developed Facial Recognition For Lemurs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/new-zealand-might-be-part-of-new-continent-called-zealandia/">Australia And New Zealand Might Not Be Part Of The Same Continent</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/nasa-eager-to-launch-more-missions/">Whether It&#039;s To The Moon Or Mars, NASA Wants Astronauts Flying Soon</a></li></ul>