Pollution can affect the brain development of the unborn child, revealed in a new study:

News Topical, Digital Desk : If pregnant women are exposed to excessive pollution, then it can also affect the specific structures of the brain of the child growing in their womb. We are not saying this, but a research has claimed this. This study has been published in a well-known medical journal named 'The Lancet Planetary Health'.

This research found that these changes can slow down the child's mental balance, coordination of movement and development. Researcher Payam Dadvand of Spain's Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) said that the time from the middle to the last month of pregnancy is very important for the child's mental development. During this time, the child feels the effects of external things, such as pollution , more.

It affects the development of the child

"As doctors, we are observing that even if the pregnancy appears normal, air pollution can have some effects on the baby's brain," said Dr Elisa Lurba and Lola Gómez Roig, from the Hospital de Sant Pau and the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu.

A special type of ultrasound was used

For this research, scientists surveyed the data of 754 mother-child pairs between 2018 and 2021. They used a special type of ultrasound called transvaginal neurosonography. This tests the size and structures of the brain of the baby growing in the womb.

Effect seen on certain parts of the child's brain

The survey revealed that when pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon enter the body of a pregnant woman, it affects certain parts of the child's brain. In particular, the size of the lateral ventricles on both sides of the brain and the area called Cisterna Magna at the bottom increases.

An increase was seen in the width of the cerebellar vermis

These parts are filled with fluid that provides support and safety to the brain. Apart from this, an increase in the width of the cerebellar vermis, a part of the brain that is important for balance and coordination, has also been observed. Researcher Laura Gomez-Herrera said that in this research we get to see how pollution affects the brain of the child growing in the womb. It makes it more sensitive to the outside environment.