Air grievances: silence swirls around the toll of bushfire smoke during pregnancy

By Isabelle Oderberg

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The bushfire season of 2019-20, known as Black Summer, burned through 18.6m hectares of land and caused some of the worst bushfire smoke in living memory to descend on Sydney. Images of the city blanketed in a thick brown soupy haze were splashed across media around the world.

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But despite being surrounded by medical professionals – the midwives, obstetricians, medical technicians and nurses who make IVF a reality – Frank wasn’t given any information about how to protect herself amid the environmental crisis or how it could potentially increase her risk factors.

In November, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released its report Australian bushfires 2019–20: exploring the short-term health impacts, but pregnancy was mentioned in the body of the report just twice.

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She recommends pregnant women stay indoors in a well-insulated environment and use air filtration systems during high-risk periods, and avoid rush hour and walking on main roads more generally. Similar advice would be given to men looking to conceive in coming months or anyone more broadly concerned with their health.

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