Melbourne, Sept 05 (ANI): A new West Australian study has found that traffic emissions are responsible for lower than average birth weights among babies born in some suburbs.
Researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Telethon Institute of Child Health Research found that mothers living in some Perth suburbs with average traffic emissions gave birth to babies weighing 58 gm less on average than the expected average weight of 3.5kg.
They reached at the conclusion after analyzing the records of 1,800 pregnant women and their babies, living in suburbs of low industrial activity, with a mix of busy and quiet roads.
The 58-gm decrease in birth weight was about half that of babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, News.com.au reported.
UWA epidemiologist Gavin Pereira said researchers were able to assess carbon monoxide levels around the homes of women up to the time they gave birth.
He told AAP the results were based on what babies' weights were expected to be if there were no other curbs to babies' growth such as diabetes in the mothers.
Mr Pereira said researchers were "definitely surprised" at the results, because it was thought the foetus would be somewhat protected.
"We wouldn't have expected to have observed much of an association," he said.
"What these results are really showing is that even though we might be meeting air quality guidelines, we might not be meeting the air quality guidelines close to roads."
The study is published in the current issue of Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. (ANI)
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