"Particulate matter pollution in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh could be behind hundreds of thousands of stillbirths and miscarriages annually, according to a new study."

"More than 349,000 lost pregnancies each year in South Asia are linked to excessive air pollution, according to a new study in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.

The research builds on previous evidence that small particulate matter pollution (PM2.5) can harm developing fetuses. The study is the first to estimate the air pollution burden on South Asian women and suggests that the excessive pollution may be responsible for up to 7 percent of pregnancy loss in the region from 2000 to 2016.

"South Asia has the highest burden of pregnancy loss globally and is one of the most PM2.5 polluted regions in the world," lead author, Dr. Tao Xue, a researcher at China's Peking University, said in a statement. "Poor air quality could be responsible for a considerable burden of pregnancy loss in the region.""

Brian Bienkowski reports for Environmental Health News January 7, 2021. [2]