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Several medical studies say that poor air quality could hurt a baby's development, even before birth. That research is prompting some Utah parents, and one mother, to make drastic changes to their lifestyles.
Parenthood is challenging enough without having to worry about pollution. However, keeping a family of five healthy and out of Utah inversion and “bad air” days is very important to Mickelle Weber.
As a mother of three children ages 3 and under, Weber said she was concerned about “wanting to protect my babies, my precious babies,” and began doing research on air pollution.
“I learned too much,” said Weber. “It made me lay awake at night, frankly.”
Weber said her family likes to walk everywhere, use public transportation and eat healthy food.
“We only have one car because we're trying to do our part right? We bike everywhere we can,” Weber said. “Even with little kids, I was biking with two kids and a pregnant belly.”
In the last few years, she and her husband have essentially been living between Salt Lake City and Park City. Weber said she is not able to find a permanent place to rent in Park City, so they monitor the air quality app and search for a new residence each time they want to escape the air in the valley.
I learned too much. It made me lay awake at night, frankly.
–Mickelle Weber
“If we saw a red air quality day, we would pack our bags and rent a room for a week,” she said. “Or whatever we could do for that time and then we’d come back.”
It’s a costly endeavor, admits Weber, but “there’s no bounds to what a mother would do for their child,” she said. “And going to Park City is just one of those things that you do for your child to protect them.”
For the past two years, Weber has found research regarding the potential effects of air pollution on children, even unborn babies. Various studies in medical and environmental journals have linked air pollution to asthma, miscarriages and premature births.
“There's some emerging research looking at the relationship between air quality and autism spectrum disorder,” said Dr. Liz Joy, co-director of Intermountain Healthcare's Air Quality and Health Development Team, and medical director of clinical outcomes research. Joy said the research in this area could use more time to strengthen the studies’ conclusions.
“I think where we have some gaps,” said Joy, “is we don’t understand the precise mechanism by which air quality impacts pregnancy outcomes.”
As patients express concerns over air pollution and their unborn children, Joy said the Intermountain Healthcare Air Quality and Health Development Team is working to assemble a basic fact-sheet for doctors to serve as information.
Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment said the evidence is already overwhelming, citing changes in the placenta with other chemical and physical changes.
“When establishing medical 'proof,' it's one thing to have population based studies that show statistical correlations (and we now have hundreds of them),” said Dr. Brian Moench, anesthesiologist and president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. “But when you also have biological studies showing a plausible "pathophysiologic" mechanism, then you have arrived at the same degree of proof that smoking causes cancer. And we have those biologic studies now showing structural changes in the placenta and chemical changes within various parts of the cell, including the chromosomes.”
A baby's intelligence can be affected by the amount of air pollution that a mother breathes. The story that is telling us is that in fact, air pollution is making it all the way to the fetus. And it's affecting pregnancy outcomes, but it's also setting up the baby for a wide variety of adverse health outcomes much later in life.
–Dr. Brian Moench, anesthesiologist and president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment
Moench said that even breathing small amounts of polluted air can impact a baby’s development. “A baby’s intelligence can be affected by the amount of air pollution that a mother breathes,” he said. “The story that is telling us is that in fact, air pollution is making it all the way to the fetus. And it's affecting pregnancy outcomes, but it's also setting up the baby for a wide variety of adverse health outcomes much later in life.”
As for Weber and her family, they continue to make the trek to Park City on “bad air” days. Weber has presented her experiences to Utah lawmakers before at least one legislative hearing.
“Once you start realizing how many (bad air) days in the summer and winter, you start feeling a little claustrophobic,” she said. “If someone was blowing cigarette smoke in their (babies) face, imagine that feeling, and that's how it feels on a really bad air quality day.”
Weber also said more families need to hear what she’s been learning about the potential harm air pollution has on pregnant women and their unborn children.
“No one looks at you funny if you're taking a walk or working outside when you're pregnant on a red air quality day,” she said.
At this point, doctors recommend expectant mothers, like other sensitive groups, take precautions on poor air quality days, including limiting their time outdoors.
And for now, limiting time outdoors on poor air quality days is a way of life for the Weber family. However, if the frequent trips to Park City and the air pollution become too much of a burden, Weber said she’d have to consider moving to another state.
“My family comes first,” she said. “I ask myself if we’re being extreme? And then I ask myself, ‘if the water was poisoned certain days of the year, would we be considered extreme?’ ”
On its website, the Utah Department of Health writes:
“Air Quality in Pregnancy: Research has not shown conclusive evidence of birth defects or other poor outcomes from exposure to poor air quality in pregnancy. Pregnant and breastfeeding moms should talk to their primary care provider if they have continued or recurring coughing, wheezing or eye, nose, or throat irritation on poor air quality days.”
