A new study shows that people are at an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) if their household air pollution is high.
What's happening?
This is particularly concerning in developing nations, where cooking with coal, crop residue, and wood is common, India's National Herald reported. The study tracked 4,338 people in China's Guizhou province, and 302 had GDM.
Pregnant people who used solid fuels for heating or cooking had a higher risk of GDM than those who used clean energy. The participants were 20-45 years old with a gestational age of 0-13 weeks, spontaneous conception, and singleton pregnancies.
"This presents a new perspective on the adverse effects of household air pollution on pregnant women and provides a new approach to women's lifestyle management before and during pregnancy," the researchers from Zunyi Medical University wrote.
They also found that certain behaviors — eating fruits and vegetables more than five times per week, sleeping at least seven hours per night, as well as maintaining a pre-pregnancy BMI of less than 24 — can counteract the issue. Those who took a vitamin D supplement also had a lower risk of GDM.
Why is this important?
"Women with GDM are likely to be at an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and a future risk of diabetes," the Herald stated. "Children born of such pregnancies also run a long-term risk of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes."
While it's easy to say the solution involves switching to induction stoves and other clean cooking appliances, that's not always possible. Refugees, for example, have to use whatever they can, including firewood, roots, and charcoal.
Even burning candles and other typical activities can worsen air inside homes.
What's being done about indoor air pollution?
Because of the rising awareness of the negative health outcomes related to cooking with gas — which include childhood asthma and lung cancer — scientists are developing ways to improve indoor air.
🗣️ Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home?
🔘 Yes — often 😬
🔘 Yes — but only sometimes 😕
🔘 Only when it's bad outside 😮💨
🔘 No — I never do 😌
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
These include an amazing bioengineered plant that is 30 times better than a typical houseplant when it comes to purifying air and powerful air filtration systems. Smartphones can help monitor indoor air quality problems, too.
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