Pollution in Utero

Pregnancy is an important time for both mom and baby, which is why moms-to-be take special care to live right so their children are born healthy. That’s relatively easy when it comes to things women can control, like avoiding alcohol, quitting smoking and eating well. But what about pollution in the air they breathe?

In the first study of its kind, researchers report that expectant mothers’ exposure to pollutants–specifically polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are contained in car exhaust and cigarette smoke–can lead to a fourfold increase in the risk of anxiety problems in their children at age 6. The scientists measured PAH levels in the babies’ cord blood and the mothers’ blood at delivery and found a similar association: the higher the levels of blood markers for PAH, the greater the chance the children later showed symptoms of anxiety, depression or difficulty paying attention.

Most PAH exposure in cities–all the mothers in the study lived in New York City–is inescapable. But pregnant women can lower their risks by not smoking, avoiding secondhand smoke and ventilating rooms when grilling at home. Making sure both mom and baby also eat plenty of foods high in antioxidants to counteract potentially toxic exposure can help too.

SOUND OF PROGRESS

Nature and noise (the man-made kind) don’t always mix, but one hummingbird species may prefer the din. In a study conducted near the buzz of natural gas compressors, the birds selectively pollinated flowers nestled in the noisiest areas. The reason? A hummingbird predator, the bluejay, which snatches nesting babies, isn’t fond of loud locales.

PREVENTION

Why Heart Disease Is Still the No. 1 Killer

Nothing kills more Americans than heart disease. Each year more than half a million people die of heart-related causes in the U.S., but despite increasing awareness of the key contributors to heart disease, we haven’t been getting much better at preventing it. Of the seven major heart risk factors–high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, high glucose levels, an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and being overweight–most of us succeed at keeping only three or four of them under control, a proportion that hasn’t changed much since 1988. Here’s the distribution from 2005 to 2010:

Percentage of Americans keeping one or more of seven risk factors in check

[The following text appears within a chart. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual chart.]

1

7.3%

2

18.0%

3

25.5%

4

22.4%

5

16.6%

6

7.5%

7

1.2%

FOOD

10%

Decrease in size of bites we take when food has a stronger odor, which suggests that weight-control strategies that confront eaters with strong smells may help people eat less

TOBACCO

The War over Warning Labels

The government wants to put graphic warning labels on cigarettes, but tobacco companies are resisting. Here’s a breakdown of the battles so far.

1965

Congress passes a law requiring every cigarette pack to carry a written warning label about the health risks of smoking

2009

With new regulatory authority over tobacco, the FDA requires different, graphic warning labels, which are in color and would cover 50% of the front and back of every cigarette pack

2011

Tobacco companies sue the FDA, claiming the labels violate the First Amendment and constitute antismoking advocacy

February 2012

A federal judge rules in favor of the cigarette makers, blocking the labels. The government appeals

March 2012

The CDC announces its first national antismoking campaign, including billboards and print, radio, TV and online ads using graphic images of smoking’s dangers

March 2012

A federal appeals court upholds the government’s right to require the new labels

Sources: Environmental Health Perspectives; Reuters; Proceedings of the Royal Society B; JAMA; Flavour