Babies In Prams breathe 60% More Polluted Air: Study

Buying a pushchair or a pram becomes a must for new parents after the birth of their baby, to be out and about, right. Prams give mothers more freedom to move about as she just has to push and pull this dedicated baby vehicle. But what if we told you that a study has found that babies in prams breathe more polluted air?

Indian researchers have found that babies in pushchairs breathe upto 60% more polluted air than their parents and this can risk damaging the frontal lobes of their brain. This is because babies are at a lower level in prams as compared to their parents.

Pollutants that are emitted from the automobile exhaust fumes are high at ground level, especially at road crossings and traffic signals.

The study, conducted by Indian scientists at the Global Centre for Clean Air Research at the University of Surrey, UK is published in the Environment International journal.

The team studied different types of prams depending on their height and width and observed that babies sit at 0.55metres and 0.85 metres above the road level whereas the vehicle exhausts are at one metre above road level. So those tiny lungs and brains are definitely at risk and we need to take this a tad bit seriously.

So what are the alternatives to prams?

Baby wearing

Baby wearing is any day a more natural option to take your kids out than the pram. Babies will be closer to your skin and feel more secure and be away from pollutants. Several varieties of slings and carriers are available in the market today.

Traditional hip hold

Slightly older babies have been carried on the hip for ages. Babies know how to securely place themselves on their mother’s hip and sway with her

Piggy back

You might not be able to carry your baby piggy back for longer periods, but slighter older kids enjoy it thoroughly!

So keep your baby healthy, and ditch the pram. Who knows, walking while holding your baby can increase that bonding, and help you lose a couple of pounds too!

Disclaimer: Information has been sourced from timesofindia

Also read: Babywearing Keeps My Child Calm

Explore the entire collection of articles: Baby Care

#babycare