by A recent study conducted by researchers from Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health challenges the prevailing belief that exposure to air pollution from indoor stoves affects the development of babies during pregnancy. Published in The Lancet Global Health, the study was carried out in 3,200 households across resource-poor settings in Guatemala, India, Rwanda, and Peru to investigate the effects of reducing personal exposures to household air pollution on fetal growth in a randomized controlled trial.
Household air pollution, caused by the incomplete combustion of biomass fuels like wood, crop waste, and animal dung used for cooking in a significant proportion of households globally, is linked to an estimated 2.3 million premature deaths and 91.5 million disability-adjusted life-years lost annually. Women, who are typically the primary cooks at home, bear the highest exposure to household air pollution.
The study involved assigning half of the pregnant women to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves, resulting in a notable 66% reduction in exposure to fine particulate matter, while the other half continued using traditional biomass fuels for cooking. Unlike previous studies that primarily relied on birth weight, this research used ultrasounds to monitor fetal growth, providing a more detailed understanding of the impact of air pollution on prenatal development.
Despite the substantial decrease in exposure achieved through the intervention, researchers found no significant differences in fetal growth between the group using LPG stoves and those using biomass fuels. These findings align with previous research by the same team that explored the impact of air pollution on birth weight.
Lead author Professor William Checkley from Johns Hopkins University emphasized the importance of reducing household air pollution, while noting that the study challenges the widespread assumption that such pollution significantly affects fetal growth.
Professor Aris Papageorghiou from the University of Oxford, another study author, highlighted that the intervention successfully reduced air pollution exposures but did not result in improved fetal growth trajectories. This suggests the need to rethink intervention strategies that address household air pollution and enhance fetal outcomes, while underscoring that an intervention based solely on LPG stoves and fuel may not be sufficient.
Considering the study’s limitations, researchers suggested that interventions to reduce exposure to household air pollution might need to be implemented earlier in pregnancy or even before conception. Despite the significant reduction in exposure in the intervention group, average prenatal exposures still exceeded air quality guidelines by threefold, indicating the ongoing challenge of addressing household air pollution effectively.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research.
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it.
