Pollution and infant health

Abstract

In this article, I review recent research showing that even relatively low levels of pollution can affect infants’ health. This research attempts to go beyond documenting correlations by using sharp changes in pollution levels, carefully selecting control groups (including unexposed siblings as controls for exposed children), and considering behavioral responses to pollution such as maternal mobility. Poor and minority children are more likely to be affected, and differential exposure could be responsible for some of the observed group‐level differences in health at birth. Policy makers concerned about the roots of inequality should consider the role played by environmental exposures of pregnant mothers.