"New research f�inds that reducing air pollution can reverse harms to children’s health."
"Growing up with dirty air harms kids’ health. But reducing pollution can help reverse the damage.
In London, an effort to combat traffic emissions led to measured improvements in kids whose lung growth was previously stunted compared to their peers outside the city. In New York City, policies that lowered prenatal exposure to air pollution helped kids perform better on cognitive tests than previous cohorts.
These findings from two new studies add to a robust body of research emphasizing the health benefits of clean air, particularly for children, who are more vulnerable than adults to its hazards. They also provide a source of hope: Cities suffering from toxic air can become safer, healthier places for kids.
That was a key takeaway for Helen Wood, a research fellow at Queen Mary University of London and a co-author of the study there, which was published in The Lancet Public Health journal last week."
Keerti Gopal reports for Inside Climate News August 26, 2026.
