By Tony Briscoe
Exposure to unhealthy levels of air pollution during pregnancy may prolong postpartum depression symptoms in new mothers, according to new research.
A team of researchers from the University of Southern California assessed the air quality in the communities of more than 350 pregnant women across Greater Los Angeles from 2015 to 2023. The researchers then tracked the women’s mental health for up to three years after they gave birth.
Scientists found that the women who were exposed to higher levels of nitrogen dioxide and inhalable particulate pollution — two prevalent forms of air pollution — during their second trimester were nearly four times as likely to experience depression up to 3 years after their pregnancy.