AIIMS Delhi sounds alarm on pollution’s impact before birth

As Delhi-NCR continues to choke under hazardous air quality, doctors at AIIMS have issued an urgent warning children are not just affected after birth, but much earlier, inside the womb.

- ANAMTA FATIMA

Dr. Kana Ram Jat, Professor of Paediatrics at AIIMS, underlined that exposure to polluted air during pregnancy can disrupt oxygen supply to the fetus, impair organ development, and increase the chances of newborns having compromised respiratory systems.

According to Dr. Jat, fetuses exposed to toxic pollutants are more likely to be born with low birth weight, suffer from allergies, and develop wheezing or asthma later in life. Many such infants require longer neonatal care and face a higher risk of developmental delays. “The crisis begins much before we think,’ he noted,