MCH Linkages

People’s health is affected by the
environment they live in.

Pregnant women and growing
children are particularly
sensitive to environmental
toxins, because both fetal and
child brains and bodies are still
developing, and children have
more vulnerable respiratory
tracks and weaker immune
systems.1

1 UNICEF, “Clear the Air for Children The Impact of Air Pollution on Children” (Division of Data, Research and Policy (DRP) Policy,
Strategy, Networks Section (PSN) Sustainability, Policy Action Unit (SPA), October 2016),
https://www.unicef.org/publications/ files/ UNICEF_ Clear_the _Air_for _Chil dren_ 30_Oct_2 016.pdf.

One type of
environmental toxin
is Air Pollution

Air Pollution describes when
levels of particles and harmful
chemicals like carbon dioxide,
Sulfur dioxide, Ozone, and
nitrous dioxide are too high, and
they begin to concentrate in the
human body.

In pregnant women, this can cause:
1. Low birth-weight/pre-term birth 2, 3
2. Neonatal deaths4
3. And increased risk of pregnancy-related

hypertensive disorders5

2 Marie Pedersen et al., “Ambient Air PollutionandLow Birthweight: A EuropeanCohort
Study (ESCAPE),” The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 1, no. 9 (November 1, 2013): 695–704,
https ://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(13)70192-9.
3 Ying Liu et al., “The Association between Air Pollution and Preterm Birth and Low Birth
Weight in Guangdong, China,” BMC Public Health 19, no. 1 (January 3, 2019): 3,
https ://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6307-7.
4 Asim Anwar et al., “Nexus between Air PollutionandNeonatal Deaths: A Case of Asian
Countries,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 21
(November 2019), https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214148.
5 Yu, Hongbiao, Yangxue Yin, Jiashuo Zhang, andRong Zhou. 2020. “The Impact of
Particulate Matter 2.5 on the Risk of Preeclampsia: An Updated Systematic Review and
Meta-Analysis.” Environmental Science and Pollution Research International 27 (30):
37527–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10112-8.