Wednesday, January 21, 2026- A new study from Southern California has sounded an urgent public‑health alert: pregnant women exposed to wildfire smoke especially in the late stages of pregnancy may face a higher chance of having a child later diagnosed with autism.
The research analyzed health and environmental data from more than 200,000 births in Southern California and found that exposure to smoke during the third trimester was linked with a statistically higher likelihood of autism diagnoses by age five. The risk was roughly 10–23% higher, depending on how many smoky days the mother experienced late in pregnancy.
What makes this finding pressing is that wildfire smoke isn’t just an occasional nuisance; particulate pollution (PM2.5) can easily enter the bloodstream and affect fetal development. Researchers observed that the strongest associations with autism risk emerged among mothers who experienced more than 10 days of wildfire smoke exposure in the final trimester, compared with women who had no exposure at all during pregnancy.
While the study does not prove that smoke “causes” autism, it adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that airborne pollutants during critical windows of fetal neurological development may influence long‑term outcomes.
This finding should galvanize policymakers, health professionals, and expectant families alike to act now rather than later. With climate change driving more frequent and intense wildfires across California and beyond, pregnant individuals need clear guidance and protective options from air quality advisories and indoor air filtration to community support during wildfire seasons.
This research underscores the urgency of improving air‑quality protections for vulnerable populations and expanding resources to help expectant mothers minimize smoke exposure whenever possible.
0 Comments