The Effects of Toxic Air Pollution and Climate Change on Maternal and Child Health: A Scoping Study of Vulnerable Communities and Research Needs

There’s growing evidence that everyday things like air quality and temperature, made worse by climate change, can affect the health of moms and babies. Important groups like the World Health Organization and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology have pointed out that these effects can be different for different groups of people, especially in regions facing health challenges. This project focuses on the Southeastern US, an area with increasing maternal health issues and health disparities. Surprisingly, no studies have looked specifically at how air pollution and climate change impact women and children in this region. Our main goal is to create a plan to study how air pollution and climate change affect the health of moms and kids. We want to see if these effects are different for different groups of people, especially those facing social and economic challenges. Using important national data, we aim to help local, state, and national policymakers make informed decisions to protect the health of our communities.