Smog and your pregnancy

Smog over city

What is smog?

Smog, in major urban areas of India, refers to the dense blanket of pollution combined with fog that envelopes the area, usually between October and January. Smog contains high concentrations of air pollutants. It is caused by an unfortunate combination of many factors:
  • residual crop burning by farmers after harvest season;
  • high humidity levels;
  • calm winds;
  • high level of ground pollution due to vehicular emissions and construction.

Since the last few years, smog in North India has become an unwelcome annual event.

There are other sources that contribute to air pollution in our country like open burning of rubbish, smoke emitted by factories and diesel power generators. The many construction sites in cities also generates a lot of fine dust particles.

How can smog affect me and my unborn baby?

Smog can significantly compromise air quality, and numerous studies have proven that air pollution and extremely poor air quality can harm unborn babies in various ways.
  • Pollutants inhaled by the mother can reach the womb through the umbilical cord.
  • Air pollution exposure before birth has been linked with lower IQ in childhood.
  • Exposure to smog before birth has been linked to low birth weight, premature births, stillbirths and infant deaths.
  • Mothers living in areas with high levels of ozone and carbon monoxide were three times more likely to have babies with cleft lips and palates, and heart valve defects. The greatest risk occurs during the second month of pregnancy, when the foetus is developing facial structure and organs.

These are all good reasons to minimise your exposure to smog, but there is no need to panic if you cannot avoid it. Keep in mind that smog is a temporary phenomenon and most risks associated with pollution happen after long exposure. This means that your baby is at risk if pollution levels are high for an extended period of time.

How can I minimise exposure to smog while I am pregnant?

There are several measures you can take in the event of a smog emergency.

Stay indoors as much as possible
Instead of going to the market for groceries, fruit and vegetables, order online or from vendors who home deliver.

While inside your home
  • keep all doors and windows shut;
  • turn on the air-conditioners to inner circulation (fans should be kept off as much as possible);
  • mop your house and indoor areas to remove dust (sweeping with a broom is not recommended);
  • cook with an electric stove, oven or microwave (cooking in the house with wood, gas or charcoal is not recommended).

Many families in India have invested in air purifiers with HEPA filters that trap particulate matter to improve indoor air quality.

If you must be outdoors, always use an N95 mask
An N95 mask can filter out 95 per cent of particulate larger than 0.3 microns. It is a tighter fit than surgical masks, so can make you feel hot and stuffy. Health authorities advise pregnant women to take off the mask if they start feeling dizzy or short of breath.

If you have older children, try to find them child-sized N95 masks, which are available in shops or online retailers. N95 masks meant for adults are too loose for children.

Keep off the roads
Road travel should be minimised to the absolutely necessary. Keeping your car home will help prevent further deterioration of air quality, and also minimise the risk of traffic accidents due to poor visibility.

If you must drive...
  • turn on the air-con and keep it to the "recirculate inside air" mode;
  • keep all the windows closed;
  • turn on the headlights, even in daytime, to increase visibility on the road;
  • never leave children unattended in the car;
  • don’t smoke in your car, and don’t allow anyone else to smoke, either. Car air purifiers are also gaining popularity in India.

There are additional safety measures you can take whether you are a driver or passenger.

What else can I do to protect myself during the smog?

You can be forgiven for feeling helpless when the smog is at its worst. But you can still actively participate in your own antenatal health and well-being.

Stay away from smokers
If you do smoke, try to quit. We have lots of tips to help you give up smoking.

Drink lots of water
Health experts recommend drinking at least two litres a day when the smog is bad. Here are more ideas for healthy and refreshing drinks for pregnant women.

Wash your hands and face
Wash off dust and dirt as soon as you step indoors. Ask everyone who lives in your house to do the same.

Don't exert yourself but stay fit
While it's not recommended to do any exercises that makes you inhale deeply from exertion, there are still plenty of indoor activities that are light and will help you stay in shape. You can try stretches to ease aches and pains, exercises on a birthing ball to strengthen your back, and kegel exercises.

Make sure you eat a nutritious, balanced diet
As always, wash or peel fruits and vegetables and eat a varied diet to get all the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

Antioxidant foods are believed to help your body to remove harmful toxins though experts are divided on this. If you want to include them in your diet, some foods that are good antioxidants include:
  • vitamin C rich foods such as oranges (santara), lime (nimbu), Indian gooseberry (amla);
  • turmeric (haldi);
  • kidney beans (rajma);
  • black grapes (kala angur)

Is anything being done about smog in India?

When there is a smog emergency, the government usually takes steps to improve the immediate situation such as banning the entry of commercial vehicles in cities during certain hours, temporarily stopping all construction and introducing schemes like odd-even vehicle entry. Some measure are longer term attempts to improve the situation such as educating farmers on the ill effects of crop burning.

However, the root causes for smog need to be addressed by long term concentrated efforts of both the Central and State governments. Sadly, it might take several years before we see any significant change in pollution levels in our cities and in the recurrent smog problem.

In the meantime, you can take steps to lead a greener life and contribute towards reducing pollution. You can also protect yourself and keep monitoring the air quality in your area (from Good, Moderate, Unhealthy and Very Unhealthy to Hazardous!) through the various apps and websites which are available online.


Combating Haze in ASEAN. Haze Online. (accessed January 2011)

Ambient Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Review of the Literature. Environmental Health Perspectives, (accessed January 2011)

Haze and Our Health. Health Ministry myHealth portal. (accessed May 2011)

Pregnancy, Asthma. emedicine, (accessed January 2011)

Track your baby’s development

Trying to conceive?