Babies exposed to air pollution during pregnancy take longer to learn to speak, research finds

The research found the impact was even worse for premature babies, whose motor skills also suffered from the pollution. Photograph: Jonathan Goldberg/Alamy

Babies exposed to higher levels of air pollution in the early stages of pregnancy take longer to learn to speak than those exposed to lower levels in the womb, new research suggests.

A study by researchers from King’s College London found exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine and ultra-fine particulate matter during the first trimester of pregnancy delayed speech development at 18 months.