How harmful is air pollution to your unborn child?

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About the research

An unborn child is exposed to air pollution even before he or she breathes for the first time. This is shown by the research of Eva Bongaerts (UHasselt). She found soot particles in the placenta of women who were only 12 weeks into their pregnancy. This soot pollution can lead to premature birth or lower birth weight. More in the video.

Health
Eva Bongaerts
UHasselt

Eva Bongaerts always had a keen interest in the human body and its complex functioning, which instigated her to start her studies in Biomedical Sciences and to complete it with a specialisation in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology. Air pollution and its effect on global health especially interest Eva due to its societal relevance and her drive to create impact. In her PhD project, Eva is unraveling the translocation of soot particles from mother to unborn child. Hereby she aims to contribute to the establishment of stricter and more effective (inter)national air quality guidelines by providing undeniable scientific proof of detrimental effects of air pollution on health, especially on the health of developing children.

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