Clean Air Where

New research has looked at whether the air we breathe during pregnancy can affect a child’s development. Higher indoor PM₂.₅ exposure during pregnancy was associated with lower cognitive scores at age 4, strongest in the first trimester.

When I was pregnant and travelling on the London Underground, I wore an FFP3 because particulate pollution is so high down there 🤮 At home I ran HEPA filters on high-pollution days and avoided adding extra particles indoors where I could.

New research has looked at whether the air we breathe during pregnancy can affect a child’s development. Higher indoor PM₂.₅ exposure during pregnancy was associated with lower cognitive scores at age 4, strongest in the first trimester.

A 2024 review of 6 studies involving 4,860 children also found higher PM₂.₅ exposure during pregnancy and childhood was associated with lower cognitive performance overall. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

New research has looked at whether the air we breathe during pregnancy can affect a child’s development. Higher indoor PM₂.₅ exposure during pregnancy was associated with lower cognitive scores at age 4, strongest in the first trimester.

It’s observational and has limitations. Exposure was modelled, pollution was much higher than in most of the UK and the confidence interval crossed zero. So it does not prove PM₂.₅ lowers IQ by a specific number of points. Study: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

🧵 1/7 Last week we posted about the common misconception that cold air makes you sick. As the weather cools, we all head indoors more, just as virus season gets going. That means more shared air, more infections and more disruption.

6/7 Ventilation, filtration and respiratory protection all have a part to play alongside the things we already do to stay healthy. We make jokes about this time of year, but no one wants to be smashing off the Calpol, cancelling everything and watching the whole family go down one after another.

🧵 1/7 Last week we posted about the common misconception that cold air makes you sick. As the weather cools, we all head indoors more, just as virus season gets going. That means more shared air, more infections and more disruption.

4/7 Children’s spaces are a big one. Classrooms, nurseries and soft play can be crowded and poorly ventilated. Lots of people. Lots of breathing. Lots of time indoors. Public transport is another obvious example.

🧵 1/7 Last week we posted about the common misconception that cold air makes you sick. As the weather cools, we all head indoors more, just as virus season gets going. That means more shared air, more infections and more disruption.

2/7 Handwashing is great. Looking after ourselves matters too. Keeping fit, eating well, getting enough sleep and taking vitamins if they’re right for you all have a place. But prevention should always be the first layer.

🧵 1/4 Cold weather doesn’t give you a “chill” that makes you sick. What actually happens is that colder weather pushes us indoors, where we spend more time sharing air in spaces that are often poorly ventilated.

3/4 Handwashing still matters, but many respiratory infections also spread through the air when we breathe, talk, cough or sneeze. In poorly ventilated spaces, infectious particles can build up in the shared air around us. We can then breathe them in and become infected.

🧵 1/4 Cold weather doesn’t give you a “chill” that makes you sick. What actually happens is that colder weather pushes us indoors, where we spend more time sharing air in spaces that are often poorly ventilated.

🧵 1/4 New research involving Imperial College London and UKHSA measured indoor air in 112 London homes and found routine fragrance-product use could substantially increase indoor PM₂.₅.

3/4 This doesn’t show that lighting a candle will make you ill, and different types of PM₂.₅ aren’t necessarily equally harmful. But it’s a good reminder that indoor pollution isn’t only coming in from outside.

🧵 1/4 New research involving Imperial College London and UKHSA measured indoor air in 112 London homes and found routine fragrance-product use could substantially increase indoor PM₂.₅.

🧵 1/4 Indoor air quality training for schools, nurseries & childminders. Autumn term introductory prices: Childminders £75 Nurseries £195 Schools £295 In person or remote.

3/4 Schools and childcare settings already think about allergens, cleaning products, temperature, infection control, hazardous substances and medical needs as part of safeguarding and health & safety. Indoor air quality is another part of that picture.

🧵 1/4 Indoor air quality training for schools, nurseries & childminders. Autumn term introductory prices: Childminders £75 Nurseries £195 Schools £295 In person or remote.

🧵 1/7 Well, we’re off to a strong start to the school year. Kiddo injured his finger in PE and, after making it through the rest of the day with a very swollen finger, we decided we should probably get it X-rayed.

6/7 Flu is starting to creep up too, with RSV and other seasonal viruses joining the mix as we head into autumn and winter. Even a “normal” infection can mean missed school, missed work and cancelled plans. Some can also lead to post-viral complications, including Long COVID.

🧵 1/7 Well, we’re off to a strong start to the school year. Kiddo injured his finger in PE and, after making it through the rest of the day with a very swollen finger, we decided we should probably get it X-rayed.

4/7 COVID certainly isn’t just a winter virus, but (on X) @BuDs_UK are reporting infection levels rising in England as we move into autumn. Their latest estimate is around 1 in 675 people infected.

🧵 1/7 Well, we’re off to a strong start to the school year. Kiddo injured his finger in PE and, after making it through the rest of the day with a very swollen finger, we decided we should probably get it X-rayed.

2/7 So off to hospital we went. Because we went in with one problem and really didn’t fancy coming home with another, we wore respirators. I try not to let people breathe on me if I can help it.

🧵 1/ Yesterday was the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. 🌍 I missed it because the day was absolutely rammed 😅 But clean air matters today too, and tomorrow, and every day after that.

2/ This year’s message is really simple: cleaner air is good for health, good for economies and good for the climate. That applies outdoors and indoors.

🧵 1/ Yesterday was the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. I missed it because the day was absolutely rammed 😅 But clean air matters today too, and tomorrow, and every day after that.

2/ This year’s message is really simple: cleaner air is good for health, good for economies and good for the climate. That applies outdoors and indoors.

🧵 1/ Back-to-school prep is more than uniforms and stationery. This year, we’ve helped Lessness Heath with their indoor air quality back-to-school prep. 📚💨

2/ Thanks to their supportive SLT, the local community, Smart Air and the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation, every classroom now has air filtration in place, cleaned and ready to go. And honestly, there’s nothing more satisfying than a dirty filter being cleaned. 😅