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Research by the University of Bergen in Norway found a link between women who live in cities - who are exposed to air pollution - and an average of smaller infant birth weights. Whereas, babies born in rural areas are heavier on average. Scientists looked at 4,286 children and their mothers in a longitudinal study, dating from 1990 to present day, who lived in seven cities across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Estonia.

Scientists collected data on five different air pollutants, to find a connection between their presence and birth size. The correlation between a higher concentration of pollutants and smaller birth size was expected, based on former research on pollution and foetal development. However, what they did not expect to find is that proximity to what they call 'greenness' - in urban areas, parks and outside places - had a strong link with an increase in the average baby weight, even when pollution exposure was controlled.

Robin Sinsamala is the lead author of the study. He said these areas all lie within the EU air quality guidelines, demonstrating that even low levels of pollution can have adverse effects on foetal development and birth weight. He advised governments create policies that restrict pollution to residential areas, such as zero emission zones, and propose urban planning to increase access to green areas.

(A man and a woman walk their babies in baby strollers at Humlegarden in Stockholm on September 24, 2020. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images))

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