Pregnancy: Air Pollution

(asked on 1st November 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to educate pregnant women about the detrimental effects of air pollution on foetuses.


This question was answered on 8th November 2016

The Government has produced resources to inform the public and professionals about the risks of carbon monoxide (CO) to the foetus. Elevated exposure to CO can occur indoors due to malfunctioning appliances. Sufficient “test your breath” postcards about the risks of CO have been made available for every pregnant woman for the past two years. An online training module has recently been launched, to support midwifery teams to effectively screen all pregnant women for CO. An algorithm for midwives, to help diagnose CO poisoning in pregnant women and offer advice, was also updated this year.

More recently, a Foreword from the Chief Medical Officer for England introduced the report Every breath we take: The lifelong impact of air pollution which draws attention to the potential effects of indoor and outdoor air pollutants on the developing foetus, particularly the evidence for effects on premature birth and low birth weight. A copy of this report is attached.

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