To protect your baby from pollution, nothing better than a blanket! This is indeed what British scientists say, specializing in air quality at the University of Surrey, in Great Britain, who tested the level of pollution inside prams. The purpose of this experiment was to calculate the contact of babies with pollution, especially in the morning, when parents take the older children to school. It was carried out using fine particle detectors placed in pushchairs having made 64 round trips to schools in Guildford, Surrey. According to this experiment, the fine particles of pollution would be much more present in the morning, and this because of the exhaust gases of the cars, present in a much greater quantity than during the off-peak hours of the day. They would also be more present at bus stops and crossroads. Sitting in pushchairs or lying in their prams, the very young would be the most exposed to fine particles, the exhaust pipes of vehicles being at their level.
Questioned by the Guardian , Dr. Prashant Kumat, director of the study, explained:“Young children are much more sensitive to pollution than adults, due to their low body weight. These results give an idea to families who go every morning to nursery and primary schools with young children. He went on to say that children could subsequently develop respiratory problems, from contact with chemicals and harmful products. There is a simple and effective solution to protect babies from pollution:a blanket to put on them when they are in a pram or stroller. “One of the simplest ways to combat the effects of pollution is to put up a barrier between children in prams and exhaust emissions […]. If possible, parents should cover the pram,” continues Dr Kumat. For him, the fight against fine particle pollution should be urgently considered a public health issue and the implementation of precautionary measures for babies during outings in strollers is strongly necessary.
We take good note of it!
