Can polluted air particles inhaled by a pregnant mother reach her placenta? скачать в хорошем качестве

Can polluted air particles inhaled by a pregnant mother reach her placenta?

Black carbon can travel beyond a mother's lungs and reach the foetal side of the placenta, finds a new study. Doctors had till now struggled to establish a link between air pollution, premature births and low birth weights. All everybody knew was that air pollution affects the mother’s lungs and that somehow affects the baby. But now this new research conducted by researchers from Hasselt University in Belgium has found black soot-like particles on the foetal side of the placenta. The placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to the foetus and filters out substances that could harm it. The study was based on placentas donated by 28 new mothers. Although not conclusive, the study shows that foetus could be directly affected by air pollution. This can open up a new direction on the effects of air pollution on foetuses.