Q&A: Reducing Risks of Air Pollution and Wildfire Smoke During Pregnancy

Pregnancy Podcast

Vanessa Merten

Newborn, Parent, Homebirth, Vbac, Kids & Family, Doula, Firsttimemom, Midwife, Pregnancy, Doctor, Parenting, Pregnant, Vanessamerten, Physician, Csection, Prenatalcare, Breastfeeding, Naturalbirth, Nursing, Birthcenter, Family, Baby, Hospitalbirth, Health, Obgyn, Research, Trimester, Expecting, Labor, Mom, Diet, Dad, Birth

4.5 • 948 Ratings

🗓️ 29 January 2025

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Evidence shows that pregnant women and babies exposed to high levels of air pollutants face an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Adding to this concern is the rising frequency of wildfires, further threatening air quality. According to the World Health Organization, 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits. While avoiding exposure to air pollution and wildfire smoke is the best way to limit your risk, this is not always possible. The good news is that you can reduce exposure and minimize the harmful effects with practical steps, from monitoring the Air Quality Index to using air filtration systems and supplementing with antioxidants to strengthen your body’s defenses. By focusing on the factors within your control, you can take proactive measures to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of poor air quality.

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Read the full article and resources that accompany this episode.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Merton.
0:10.1	Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast. In today's episode, we're talking about
0:17.7	reducing risks of air pollution and wildfire smoke during pregnancy.
0:24.0	Evidence shows that pregnant women and babies that are exposed to high levels of air pollutants
0:29.5	have an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Adding to this concern is the rising frequency
0:36.6	of wildfires which threaten air quality even more.
0:40.9	According to the World Health Organization, 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds their air quality limits.
0:50.3	Of course, the best way to limit your risk is to avoid exposure to air pollution or wildfire smoke,
0:56.6	but that may not always be possible.
0:59.5	The good news is that you can reduce exposure and minimize the harmful effects with practical steps,
1:06.2	from monitoring the air quality index to using air filtration systems, even supplementing with
1:12.8	antioxidants to strengthen your body's defenses. By focusing on the factors within your control,
1:19.6	you can take proactive measures to protect yourself and your baby from the dangers of poor
1:25.6	air quality. You can find the complete article and all of the resources for this episode at
1:32.8	Pregnancy Podcast.com slash air quality.
1:38.1	You are currently listening to the public feed of the podcast, which gives you access to the last year of episodes.
1:46.1	Become a pregnancy podcast premium member. You're going to get all ad-free content,
1:52.5	plus you get access to every single episode of the podcast. That includes hundreds of episodes
1:59.0	exclusively available to premium members.
2:02.5	Whether you have questions about something during your pregnancy
2:06.0	or you want to explore information about an intervention for your birth,
2:11.1	there is an episode of the pregnancy podcast that has the information you're looking for.
	...

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