Rajni, a 27-year-old lady, was expecting her first child in three months. Her due date was near, and she was feeling all sorts of mixed emotions; happy, nervous, excited, tired, weak, etc.

She was six months pregnant when she woke one day and realised that her baby stopped moving. She ignored her labour pain, considering that the due date was far and she was just six months pregnant. 

When the pain didn’t improve, she called her husband, and they rushed to the hospital. In an emergency, the doctor told the couple that it was pre-term labour and they had to deliver the baby now.

The baby was born but was underweight. 

“Doctor, how is my wife and the baby?” Prateek asked.

“Prateek, we are surprised. All the reports were normal until your wife was 5-6 months pregnant. The pre-term labour, premature delivery, and the birth of an underweight infant are strange.” the doctor said.

“I am worried. Are my wife and baby both fine? Will the baby survive?” Prateek asked the doctor.

“Both the mother and the baby are fine, but the baby is underweight. We have kept him in NICU to keep him under observation and check if all his organs are working fine.” the doctor replied.

Prateek was tensed. He went to see his wife and told her everything. Rajni couldn’t hold her tears and hugged her husband. Both of them wanted their baby to survive and live a healthy life. 

The doctors did some tests and found out that the baby’s lungs hadn’t developed well, so that he couldn’t breathe without oxygen support. Unfortunately, the baby took his last breaths in the hands of the nurse.

Soon, the doctors gave this news to the couple, and it shook them. They couldn’t believe that everything had changed in a matter of time.

Doctors did thorough research, referred to past reports, and discovered that air pollution might have affected the baby’s development. 

You must wonder if this can actually happen.

Yes, air pollution harms pregnant women and their unborn babies. Exposure to air pollutants can result in negative pregnancy outcomes. 

Various studies have shown that air pollutants can enter the placenta and affect the baby’s development. This risk increases for people who live in highly polluted cities.

Let's get back to the couple to establish a direct connection between air pollution and the baby’s demise.

Looking back at the time when Rajni was pregnant, let’s see her lifestyle and surroundings.

1. The couple lived in Biwadi, Rajasthan (the most polluted city in India and the third most polluted in the world.)

2. They moved here a year ago, and their place was close to an industrial area.

3. Rajni lived alone, so she was overburdened with the work. She ignored her diet and health.

All these things connect the dots and prove that air pollution affected Rajni and her baby. On top of that, pre-term labour, underweight babies, stillbirth, and undeveloped lungs can all be reasons for air pollution.

It is problematic; we all must stay safe, especially pregnant women. Here’s Wingify Earth's solution to keep us safe from air pollution before it kills us.

It is difficult to control the air pollution around us, but you can take the following measures to stay safe and reduce health risks.

1. Avoid staying in the most polluted cities if you can. If somebody in your family is pregnant, living in such areas requires extra precautions.
2. If possible, install a carbon monoxide detector to prevent poisonous carbon monoxide.
3. Install an air purifier to avoid indoor pollution. https://www.aqi.in/
4. Stay up to date with AQI. Avoid going outdoors when AQI is high.
5. Stay away from smoke or anybody who is smoking. Ban smoking indoors as it only worsens the situation.
6. Get indoor air-purifying plants. 
7. Go for regular checkups.
8. Eat a balanced diet and avoid a sedentary lifestyle. 

You can prevent air pollution from affecting you and your loved ones with such small steps. They would not have lost their child if Rajni and Prateek had known these things and taken all the precautions.

Prateek and his wife shifted to Jaipur. They have now ensured they will care for their health and then plan a baby later. 

If somebody in your family is pregnant, share this story with them. Let’s not let air pollution take the lives of babies with nothing to do with it.