( CNN ) It 's hardly news to state that air pollution is bad for people 's health . What might be more surprising to learn , though , is that air pollution is bad for the health of an unborn child , long before his or her lungs ever take their first breath . A growing body of research indicates that various forms of air pollution have a measurable impact on the health of babies , both in utero and after birth . We imagine the infant to be protected inside its mother 's body , but pollutants can reach the baby the same way nutrients and medicine do . Lead , mercury and particulate matter are among the types of air pollution we know can impact the health of infants before and after birth . Ozone , or smog , is the next candidate for addition to the list of air pollutants known to be harmful to fetal health . Over the past several years , a number of studies have indicated a likely link between higher levels of maternal ozone exposure and poor health outcomes in infants , including changes in lung structure and function , low birth weight and neuro-behavioral abnormalities . Many of these health effects can be expected to have lifelong consequences . These are deeply concerning results that require more investigation to understand fully . These studies add to a substantial amount of evidence showing the ill effects of ozone for people of all ages . Estimates place the toll in 2007 at 15,000 premature deaths related to ozone among individuals of all ages . Ozone also causes shortness of breath , wheezing and coughing , asthma attacks , increased risk of respiratory infections and increased need for people with lung diseases -- such as children with asthma -- to get medical treatment or be admitted to the hospital . How can a pregnant woman protect herself and her growing fetus from the harm caused by ozone ? After all , ozone is usually invisible ( except in certain cases , as smog ) and high levels are undetectable to the average individual . Summertime air quality alerts may help in some cases , but some pregnant women can not avoid exposure . In addition , studies confirm that these daily pollution alerts are inadequate to protect our health because they are based on the present federal ozone standard , which does not include evidence from current , critical health science . In other words , the alerts sometimes fail to accurately indicate when the air is dangerous to breathe . Thinking that it 's safe to work or play outside when ozone pollution levels trigger a yellow air quality alert ( indicating a `` moderate '' level for ozone pollution ) can significantly threaten the health of many vulnerable individuals . In order to truly protect our children , we need strong , national standards limiting ozone . Ozone forms in the air from emissions from a number of sources , but the biggest culprits are cars , trucks and other motor vehicles , as well as power plants . The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) proposed new ozone standards in November that would bring limits in line with the science . EPA is accepting comments from the public on the standard until Tuesday , March 17 , and both of our organizations have expressed support . An updated standard would help ensure we have access to accurate information about the air we breathe , and help drive reductions in ozone pollution to protect the health of all Americans . ​Strengthening the ozone standard to reflect the best current science will help save lives and protect our families , including pregnant women and their babies .
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed stricter ozone standards . Authors : New anti-pollution rules would bring ozone level standards in line with what science tells us .