Air pollution linked to nearly 6 million premature births in 2019, study finds

A new study released Tuesday from the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Washington found air pollution likely caused millions of babies to be born prematurely and under a healthy weight in 2019. Babies who are born with low birth weights or born prematurely have significant health disadvantages, including higher rates of major illnesses throughout their lives. 

The World Health Organization has estimated that approximately 90% of the global population lives with outdoor air pollution, and 50% of the global populations also lives with indoor air pollution from wood, coal and dung-fueled fires inside the home.

The study looked at how air pollution affected multiple parts of pregnancy, including length of pregnancy, birth weight, preterm birth and weight loss after birth. It's the first study to include indoor air pollution, which accounted for two thirds of the documented effects.