LAHORE:Smog seriously threatens human health and has become a hot topic for research and the public.
Principal of Post Graduate Medical Institute and Ameerud Din Medical College Prof Al-Fareed Zafar said this while talking to media representatives on the topic of smog on Saturday.
He said pregnant women and fetus were more susceptible to environmental factors including smog pollution than the general population. Senior citizens, children and the sick people were also easy target of environmental pollution, he added.
He further said that air pollution could affect the health of the pregnant women and the developing baby and disrupting the baby’s growth. Pregnant women who live in polluted areas may be more likely to experience early or preterm labor, he added.
He said that outdoor air pollution from smog may increase the risk of preterm labor and other problems, such as low birth weight, underdeveloped lungs in the baby, and death of the baby during or shortly after birth.
To a question, he said that smog pollution directly affects infants and has a long-term effect on their health conditions when they grow up, including hypertension, cardiac disease and type 2 diabetes etc.
Prof Al-Fareed Zafar highlighted that smog triggers asthma attacks and severely worsens asthma conditions, such patients may be badly affected from smog that may increase the ratio of lung damage.
PGMI principal said that people should use environment-friendly consumer products, reduce, reuse and recycle the waste materials.