Air pollution for mother can cause cancer for baby

Exposure to air pollution, even in the womb, may be linked to genetic changes associated with an increased risk of &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/fun/2001/11/19/21384.html ' target=_blank>cancer, researchers said yesterday. That finding, from a study done in New York City by scientists at Columbia University, followed 60 newborns and their nonsmoking mothers in low-income neighborhoods, primarily in Harlem and the Bronx, reports the New York Times. When the babies were born, genetic alterations were measured. Researchers found an increase of about 50 percent in the level of persistent genetic abnormalities among infants with high levels of exposure, said the study's senior author, Dr. Frederica P. Perera, director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. According to Xinhuanet, prenatal exposure to &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2001/08/17/12825.html ' target=_blank>air pollution can lead to genetic changes in babies which can be linked to increased risk of cancer, according to a US study published on Tuesday. The study by Columbia University followed 60 newborns and their non-smoking mothers in low-income New York City neighborhoods. Researchers measured the mothers' exposure during the last three months of their pregnancies to polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons, which are produced by primarily fuel burning of vehicles. Then they tested the umbilical cord blood of the newborns to look for chromosomal abnormalities. Chromosomes carry the DNA.