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While pregnancy is a time of extreme sensitivity for all, Black mothers in the U.S. experience drastically high maternal and infant mortality rates—they’re three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. In addition to this stark inequity, air pollution exacerbates existing health disparities, disproportionately affecting Black mothers and their infants in the U.S. Extreme weather induced by the climate crisis, especially extreme heat, also disproportionately impacts Black communities. This unique vulnerability stems from health risks related to historic racism and living closer to sources of pollution.
All children exposed to air pollution and extreme heat in the womb are at risk of low birth weight, improper immune system development, impaired cognition, and gestational diabetes as well as long-term health impacts, including asthma and high blood pressure. Climate change has dramatically increased the incidence of heat waves, wildfires, and superstorms, all of which increase air pollution. Extreme heat exacerbates ground-level ozone pollution, commonly called smog. Exposure to air pollutants such as ozone during certain periods of pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth, which has been linked to a range of developmental harms. In the U.S., the preterm birth rate for Black babies is 1.5 times higher than for all other babies.
Health disparities and Black maternal health
Today’s elevated Black maternal mortality rates exist regardless of factors such as age, level of education, geographic location, income, or socioeconomic status. They have also doubled in the past two decades. One known risk factor is racism. Cumulative exposure to the many consequences of racism over the course of a lifetime, including stress and trauma, can raise the risk for chronic disease for Black women—a phenomenon known as “weathering.” Stress wears the body down, making it susceptible to a variety of health concerns and illnesses, like hypertension and type 2 diabetes—which are known to impact Black pregnancies. Air pollution and the climate crisis add significantly to the Black maternal health crisis.
Air pollution and pregnancy
These air pollutants in our everyday lives can impact children in utero, and detrimental health effects can emerge many years after they’re born. Because of decades of residential segregation, Black people frequently live in neighborhoods with greater exposure to pollutants like soot and ozone.
- Soot pollution, a.k.a. PM 2.5 or particle pollution, is tiny droplets or particles in the air from a variety of sources, including the burning of fossil fuels for energy and wildfires. Children exposed during pregnancy are at higher risk of adverse birth outcomes, elevated blood pressure, and asthma.
- Smog, a powerful lung irritant also known as ground-level ozone, can increase preterm birth risk. It forms in the atmosphere when certain chemicals, typically from power plants and transportation, combine with heat and sunlight.
- Petrochemical pollution, a category of toxic chemicals derived from fossil fuels, can have a profound impact on health. Living closer to plastics manufacturing and disposal facilities is linked with preterm birth, low birth weight, miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defects.
- Indoor air pollution can include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from transportation, oil and gas operations, and typical household items like paints and pesticides. Exposure to VOCs in the womb can increase the risk of low birth weight and respiratory disease in childhood.
- Hazardous materials, like asbestos, radon, lead dust from paint, and mercury in flooring, can create ambient air pollution linked to adverse birth outcomes, especially in older homes.
- Wildfire smoke exposure can lead to preterm birth, and children exposed to in utero are more likely to suffer respiratory infections. Black communities tend to have higher asthma rates, increasing their risk.
Extreme heat and Black maternal health concerns
Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. High heat can also cause preterm birth, low birth weight, pregnancy loss, and heat-related stress in newborn babies. Studies have demonstrated that Black mothers are at higher risk of preterm birth following a heat wave than other pregnant people.
Older housing, a scarcity of green spaces, and lack of access to air conditioning also increase the risks of extreme heat, especially for historically marginalized pregnant people. Stress caused by climate-fueled extreme weather, including extreme heat, can exacerbate underlying health conditions, including mental health concerns, already prevalent in Black communities.
What can Black pregnant people do to protect themselves?
We all deserve to breathe clean air and remain safe during episodes of extreme heat. It should not be up to pregnant people alone to protect themselves, but individuals can educate themselves on the climate crisis and pregnancy, consult regularly with doctors, check local air quality on sites like AirNow.gov, and limit outdoor exercise during extreme heat and when pollution levels are unsafe for sensitive groups.
Get involved
Adverse outcomes in pregnancy are mostly preventable. We need stronger policies that prioritize climate justice for Black, Brown, and Indigenous pregnant people. Join Moms Clean Air Force in advocating for equitable, family-focused climate adaptation measures and strong legislation that fights climate change, extreme heat, and limits air pollution, particularly in underinvested communities. Our at-risk pregnant moms and infants urgently need our help.
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Released: November 2024